Underlings
by TMSescritura
Summary: Tony is hard working, loyal, and has a strong protective streak. The Shreveport pack leader charges him with Sookie Stackhouse's saftey when rumors of her being in danger surface. Dealing with Sookies situation forces Tony to deal with his own problems.
1. Someone to Watch over Sookie

(1) Someone to Watch over Sookie

Tony never had any problems finding a woman. He was hard working, successful, owned his own home, was tall with a thick head of dark brown hair, muscular and he had animal magnetism, seriously. A few times a month he went running with his Shreveport pack. They had a new leader thanks in part to vampire lover Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie had been a good ally and despite her fondness of vampires, she was welcomed as a Friend of the Pack.

The wolf had never spoken with Sookie. She was in love with a vampire and his pack master had designs on her too. He was not going to get too friendly with a girl that the pack master pined for. Not that Tony ever thought of her that way. Tony was just making sure to keep his distance so that there never would be something he would have to deal with. He did watch her though. When the pack master thought she might be getting into some trouble, he would send Tony down to Bon Temps.

Sookie would have been pissed to know that the Shreveport pack was watching her. She was not in Shreveport, but the pack master wanted her safe. The telepathic barmaid frequently found herself in trouble and it frustrated Pack Master Alcide to no end that she did not call him for help the second trouble started up. That is how Tony came into the picture. Sookie had only seen Tony as a wolf. She never saw his face so the most that Sookie would ever know about Tony was that he was a Were. Sookie did not know that he was a Shreveport Were.

Tony's boss and pack master Alcide Herveaux had heard through the supernatural community that someone was stalking Sookie. He sent Tony to Bon Temps to check it out.

Tony went to Merlotte's for lunch. He could smell her scent and decided to sit in another waitresses section instead of Sookies. His waitress was a pretty petite red head named Claire. Lunch was good. The Burgers Lafayette were the best he'd ever had and the beer was cold. Sookie was good at her job, even as a few young men ogled her her perky breasts. Those same people also talked to her as if she were and idiot. Likely they noticed that she had long blond hair and decided that hair color was an indicator of intelligence. Assholes. Sookie had many different kinds of attention, a few patrons looked at Sookie with an air of disapproval. What was she thinking, to be dating a vampire? A person didn't have to be telepathic to figure out what they were thinking, their expressions said enough. Sookie looked a bit distracted. And nervous. Alcide had told him that she had a wide grin whenever she was anxious. There it was; a sign that she was not as happy as most people believed.

After lunch, Tony drove his beat up red Chevy truck to the Bon Temps Construction building parking lot. The construction business was doing well and the boss decided to expand. Now there was an office located in Bon Temps. The building was actually a home. The home served both as a model for a popular style home as well as an office for the construction business. The parking lot was actually a long driveway, with a small parking area near the house.

Before getting out of the truck, Tony called Alcide to report what he saw and heard. Alcide spoke calmly on the phone, "Scout the area near the woods. Let me know what you find and do it before she gets off work so we know the area is safe."

Tony thought for a moment and then said, "Sure thing. I'll be sure to scout around again after I follow her home."

"No. Her vampire will escort her home." Alcide sounded certain, but then added, "If she leaves work without an escort the Shifter will call, but I doubt that will happen. That damn vampire is very possessive of her. She gets off in two hours. Get to work."

The men hung up without any farewells. Tony got out of his truck and then turned to reach behind the seat to pull out a duffel bag. He then walked into the model home. The home had everything needed to live there. It was sparse. There was no clutter, but there were clean white sheets on the bed, deep blue extra long Egyptian cotton towels in the bathroom, as well as soap and shampoo, food and drinks were in the refrigerator, there was even a suede couch set opposite a large plasma screen television. Tony quickly took a handful of clothes out of the duffel and then walked back outside with the empty bag.

He locked the door to the home/construction office building, stepped away from the door and walked towards the trees. It was a couple hundred yards before there was a real tree line. Once he was beyond the line by several feet, he took his clothes off and put them into the duffel bag. His body then began to shimmer and shake and hum. He had transformed himself to a wolf. A big, dark brown, harry, toothy wolf. Tony took off.

He scoured the woods near the Stackhouse home. The home was an old white farmhouse, with screened in porches front and back. There was a long driveway leading to the house which was back a good distance from the road. Ms. Stackhouse lived in a home surrounded by thick woods. Many smells were out there. Panthers had come through not long ago. Alcide had mentioned that Sookies' brother had recently become a werepanther. Maybe her brother and some of his buddies hunted or patrolled her woods. The wolf also smelled many different vampires. He recognized some of the vampires scents; Bill Compton and Eric Northman among them. Tony had expected as much. He found a patch of earth that once was an underground space for a vampire. This vampire had a scent that was not familiar with. Had the vamp been lying in wait? Not too far off, Tony found a number of small animals heaped together. All were drained of blood and had the same vampire scent as the patch of earth. No one was in the woods at the moment. It was time to go back and report to Alcide.

Tony was back to his human looking self, wearing clothes and carrying his bag back toward the house. As he approached, a beautiful black pick up pulled into the driveway. By the time Tony got up to the house, the driver was out and walking toward him. The driver was much shorter than Tony, had short blond hair and a muscular body. He smelled like panther. The panther held out his hand, "Hi. I'm Jason Stackhouse. We were wondering when Herveaux was gonna get this place started up. Were you just out for a run? I wish I could do that whenever I wanted."

Tony headed for his truck. "We're not using the building as a Herveaux Construction office just yet. I'm here setting up. If you need something..." Tony reached into his truck though an open window and pulled out a stack of business cards. He handed Jason a card. It had a Shreveport address, website and phone number. "We will do what we can to help."

Jason looked at the Were and thanked him for the card. "Sure. Yeah. I'll just give this to Calvin. He sent me here to talk to you… whoever was gonna be here that is."

"Calvin Norris?" This spiked his interest a bit.

"Um yeah. Calvin is real good with construction and all, but you know that uh… that it's real easy to… um damage, stuff, like walls and shit…"

Tony burst out laughing. "I'll tell Alcide to expect a call. Sounds like you panthers might be some fun after all." Jason thanked Tony and left.

Tony went inside and called his boss. Alcide picked up on the second ring. Tony explained that it took him longer than it should have to return the call, because Jason Stackhouse was in the driveway when he got back. Then he explained to Alcide that the Hotshot community had some sort of problem with damaging their own homes. Alcide figured that there was perhaps a lot more to the story, and he would be waiting to hear from Calvin Norris. Next, Tony shared what he found on the Stackhouse property. He had smelled werepanthers in the trees. Now that Tony had met her brother, he was able to identify Jason as being among the werepanthers that had been near her home. Then he mentioned the hiding place (or resting place?) of a vampire and finding a heap of dead rodents nearby. It had been at least a week since the last little corpse was added to the heap. Both agreed that vampires preferred bigger game. If there was a vampire in the Stackhouse woods eating vermin, then it was afraid to leave her out of sight. As said vampire was no longer around, it could be assumed that he was staked or made to have met the sun. Before his pack master told him to, Tony said he would go back to the Stackhouse property that night. He didn't know what was in store for him.


	2. The Furry and the Dead

(2) The Furry and the Dead

Tony arrived at the Stackhouse property in his wolf form. Sookie was in the house with a vampire. It was not her vampire. He spied a silver Mereces-Benz CL in the driveway. His nose lifted as he sniffed the air. The car belonged to the dead person in the house. He moved closer to the house to look around. There weren't any sounds of distress. In fact, it was very quiet. Too quiet.

Suddenly, he was flipped over onto his back. A tall dead blond wearing a soft pink designer pantsuit was squeezing his throat. She spoke to him, "change form, tell me who you are and why you're here and I might let you live". Tony let out a deep fierce growl. He kicked at her and almost got loose. "It would be fun to track and then kill you, but I need to know who hired you to kill our little Sookie".

Tony shimmered back to human form. The leggy blond kept her hold on him as he transformed. He choked out a few words, "here to check on her." The blond loosened her grip, but did not let go. "Who sent you?" Tony glanced at the house then back at the vampire, "she's under our protection".

The blond laughed then sarcastically asked, "How's that working for you? Sookie is not going to be happy when she finds out." She let go and took in the sight of him. He was excited and ready to rumble. "You are a tasty looking wolf."

He looked at her thoughtfully, "I could have taken you." She raised a brow. "I didn't because it was obvious that Sookie knows you... I didn't know vampires had human friends. I'm Tony."

"Pam. You're right, we don't have human friends." She looked at Tony again, "You're with the Shreveport pack?"

Tony ignored her question. "A vampire has spent a lot of time out here, probably watching her. Not Northman and not Compton. I know their scents." He moved uneasily toward the overturned earth giving Pam a monetary but spectacular view of his backside. The wolf did not want the vampire behind him, so he side stepped to the overturned soil and pointed to the pile of tiny dead animals nearby "He was here for some time."

"He's with us. Sometimes we have him come out here to watch things." Her tone implied that she was warning him. "If you should see him, call him Bubba. Who is threatening Sookie?"

Tony blinked, "I'm just here to check on her. That's all. She is always in trouble. It'd be nice for once to know about it in time to help. Your being here means Sookie really is in trouble. She isn't yours, yet you are here instead of her vampire. You don't hang with humans, so that would mean that you were sent. How am I doin' so far, blondy?"

"Sookie is an interesting person, yes, but we both know she isn't one hundred percent human. Her vampire," Pam snarls "as you put it, could not be here tonight. Now why don't you tell me, fur ball, who is threatening our Sookie?"

Since the honest answer didn't hold any secrets, Tony told her what he knew. "We don't know. All we have are rumors that someone is coming for her. We're not sure if it's a rival pack or some undead bastards. You must know something or else you wouldn't be here."

Pam eyed him, "I'm here getting to know my master's pet. He likes to see that his subjects are well cared for."

He starts with an accusing tone. "I am not buying it Cadaver. You are here to protect her, but you don't want to tell me." He taunted her, "Are you going to come out in the daylight too? Don't think she's safe just because the people after her are dead. I've known vamps to hire other sources. Did y'all think about that?"

She glared at him. "You would do well to remember that my name is Pam." He returned the glare. What are you suggesting?"

He furrowed his brow. "You call me a fur ball but you want me to call you Pam?" She grinned at him as he continued. "You're not gonna have it both ways, uh-uh. What I'm suggesting is that we have someone out here during the day. If anyone comes for her during the day, she'll have someone here to fight for her."

Pam smiled a toothy grin. "Eric is not going to like this. Alcide is trying to mark new territory."

Tony smirked. "Alcide is not here, and from what I have heard about Sookie … she wouldn't be thrilled to find out that you are here on guard duty. Would she?"

Pam reached into her cleavage and pulled out a business card. She said that she would be leaving at quarter after six. He took the card responding that he would be there by six. He looked at the card with the Shreveport address and figured that Pam would not be returning to Shreveport that night. Pam told him that she would be close by. Then said that Sookie was starting to worry; Pam ought to go back to the house before Sookie started to panic. As Pam turned to head back to the house, Tony shimmered into a wolf and bounded into the woods.


	3. Playing Nice

(3) Playing Nice

He arrived at six and sat in the woods for several hours before anything aside from a small animal stirred. Now it was noon. Sookie had not been up for long. Tony could hear her movements inside the house from his position in the woods. Her phone rang. She answered it and told the caller that she had a lot of chores to do so she would be in for a while. Then she offered the caller lunch in exchange for splitting some of her wood.

Sookie had a lot of wood that needed to be split. Given that she was talking to someone during the day, it wasn't her dead guy she was asking. Not to mention the fact that dead people don't eat. She was probably talking to her brother Jason. _He might be able to smell Tony out in the woods._ Jason's abilities as a werepanther were limited because he was bitten and not born but Tony couldn't know for sure what those limits were. If Jason could smell him, it might cause a problem or even a fight. Sookie didn't know Tony was on her property. She didn't even know Tony's name. Finding him in the woods, watching her, would look bad.

About twenty minutes later Jason pulled into the driveway. With barely a glance at the surrounding property, Jason bounded up the steps to the back porch of the hundred and fifty year old home and asked what smelled so good. Tony drooled at the smell of it when the scent hit his patch of woods. Sookie had made homemade macaroni and cheese, and fried catfish. As the two ate lunch, Tony tuned out. Jason's life was of no real interest to him and he would have felt more like a voyeur than a protector had he listened in on everything.

As Tony contemplated his own lunch and how hungry he was, he noticed a collie in the woods. The collie was coming toward him. Tony sniffed the air and recognized the scent. It was Sam. Sam Merlotte was Sookie's boss. He was also a shape shifter and another Friend of the Pack. Sookie knew Sam in both forms. At the moment, Sam was a collie. The collie went near the wolf and made an almost human like gesture with his neck. Sam was telling Tony to leave. The two animals stilled for a moment as Jason came outside. Tony moved away slowly as Sam got closer to the tree line. Jason pulled out a log to split and put it on the block. He grabbed an ax and then tensed. He looked out into the woods and smiled when he saw Sam. Sam barked at him and Jason said hello. While they greeted each other, Tony went for lunch.

It was close to dark before Tony returned. Sam had found Tony's duffel and placed in it a note saying that he knew Jason would be coming over and thought it would be easier if he took over for a bit. Evidently Sam had heard the rumors too and figured that Alcide had sent Tony. Tony came back full and rested.

The last vestiges of sunlight disappeared.

Suddenly the leggy blond dead gal was next to him. "Hi fur ball. I take it she had a good day." Tony growled at the "fur ball" but then bobbed his head. "Hate to break it to you, but you are a fur ball. I'll call you by your human name when you lose the hair." Tony noticed that Jason's truck was still in the driveway and nodded to it. "Poor thing. Something is wrong with his ride. It would appear that if he wants to go out tonight, he'll have to borrow his sister's." Pam loved this and it showed. She looked almost gleeful. Tony had thought that vampires only liked killing and draining. This one got her kicks by pulling a simple prank on a human. How odd.

The night-time creatures didn't have to wait long before Jason and Sookie came out of the house. Sookie was wearing her white shirt with the Merlotte's logo, black shorts, black socks and black Nikes'. The two were arguing over who would drive: He was the man, she was the owner; He needed time to get used to the car if he'd be driving it, he needed to get his car fixed soon and not claim her property as his. She stood her ground and got in the driver's seat. Jason got in and slammed the door. They left the driveway and headed for Merlottes.

Tony watched as the car disappeared then looked at Pam. Pam smiled, "She'll be fine. She's with her brother. Even if he's not a full panther, the shifter is always there. And there will be a number of full panthers in the bar tonight." Tony looked up at her. "Not my doing. Just lucky. Are you going to change back so we can talk? I don't speak dog." Tony moved his head and neck indicating that she should follow him then they both took off into the night.

They slowed down to human speed as they approached the Herveaux Construction house/office. No outside lights were on and the street was dark. Tony shimmered back to his human form. Pam spoke first, "Shy now?" Tony laughed "Hardly. A naked man standing outside is liable to attract unwanted attention. We weren't close to the road but it seems there is always someone near her place."

He opened the door and entered, "I'm going to jump in the shower. I'd say you could get a drink from the fridge, but I've never had a vamp over so I don't keep any True Blood." Tony noticed that Pam hadn't followed him inside. Noting her lack of movement he asked, "The 'invitation thing' is true?" Pam raised an eyebrow, he continued. "If I invite you can I take it back?" Pam replied "yes." Then she held her poker face as Tony surprised her with what he said next. "Alright. Come on in. I invite you in." As she came in, she handed him his duffel bag. They had run by it on the way back to the house. Tony moved faster as a wolf, but carrying a duffel with paws was just about impossible and he did not care to carry stuff in his mouth. He would have gone back for it later. Then Tony said something that he never thought he'd ever say to a fucking vampire. "Thank you." Now it was Pam's turn to be surprised. He missed it, the split second look of amazement on her face. Tony was a Were with manners.

Several minutes later Tony was dressed in a form fitting t-shirt and blue-jeans. His hair was towel dry. Pam was sitting on a modern, plush suede couch. He sniffed the air and Pam noticed. "We like to know where all the exits are." Tony glanced at a closed door, "The basement?" Without missing a beat Pam informed him that many homes with basements have a door that leads directly outside."

Now that their conversation had turned to "shop talk", Tony was slightly more comfortable with the dead blond. He told her that the company was working to create basements that could deal with a high water table. So far, there hadn't been any problems with the basement in this house. Pam was surprised to learn that there was a market in Louisiana for homes with a basement. Tony conceded a bit saying that there are only a handful of interested people. Then he added that most of the perspective buyers were "moving here from one of the Northern states. They like to have their furnaces and utilities in an area hidden from the rest of the house and to have space for storing seasonal items. I'd imagine that a vampire might like it. You could sleep in the ground without sleeping in the dirt." Pam mulled it over for a moment before responding. "Yes, that would be nice. We don't have to sleep in the dirt, but it is often safer than a house. Fanatics don't know where to find you and you don't have to light proof the building."

That statement brought a thought to the forefront; it was an unspoken conclusion among the supernatural community. "That's why the vampire population went down after Katrina isn't it? They didn't move away due to a lack of prey. They died because they were exposed to the sun after the tsunami hit their resting area."

"I suppose there is some merit to having a basement."

"As long as the house isn't swept away. There's still the possibility of waking up wet. The water table is high around here."

Pam sneered. "It's not like we can drown. We don't breathe. But I'd be pissed if the foundation crumbled and the house fell on me."

The only thing he thought of to say to that was, "Me too."

Tony looked over at his kitchen. He hadn't eaten since lunch and he was hungry. He wanted to eat, but would it be rude to eat in front of her when he had no bottles of blood to offer? _What the hell was he thinking? She was a fucking vampire! _What if she were hungry? What would she do if she were hungry and she saw him, potential dinner, eating? So far things were okay between them. Better than one would expect. Their peoples had centuries of hostility and mistrust between them. He didn't exactly trust her, but he wasn't ready to bite off her head either. That's when he decided to go to Merlotte's for dinner. He could get a meal and Pam could have some blood while they talked and surreptitiously checked in on Sookie. It would be an odd pairing though. Vamps and wolves just didn't hang together. Tony decided to tell Pam that he didn't feel like cooking, but that he needed food and figured that as long as he'd be going out, he might as well go to Merlotte's and see how things were over there. Since it seemed that they still had things to discuss, maybe she'd want to come scope out the scene too.

Half an hour later, Pam and Tony walked into the bar. One area had three of the bigger tables joined together for the Hotshot men that came in that night. Most of them had come and gone; Jason, Calvin and three other men were there in the Hotshot section of the bar.

The restaurant was busy that night, but it got mighty quiet when Pam and Tony walked in. Many of the bar patrons recognized Pam as a vampire acquaintance of Sookie's. The Hotshot men, and Sam who was behind the bar in his human form, knew not only that Pam was a vampire but that Tony was a werewolf. The two sat in Sookie's section.

Sookie came to the table with a broad grin on her face. Was she anxious because of some danger? Or was she anxious because of all the unwanted thoughts that she heard? "Hey Pam. Surprised to see you here." Pam introduced Tony to Sookie. Then she asked how things were going. Sookie's grin got bigger and said that things were fine. She just hoped that her brother's car would be fixed by the end of tomorrow.

Without saying Sookie saying so, Pam could tell that Jason was on her nerves already. Pam offered, "I can pick you up after work if you'd like. That way Jason will not have to bother you again until he comes to bring your car back."

Sookie's eyes narrowed and she spoke to Pam with an accusatory tone. "Tell Eric I'm fine. Unless there is something you want to tell me?"

Before either woman could say anything more, Tony piped in addressing Pam and then including Sookie. Tony had a suggestion. "Your car is back at the office, it would be a waste of gas to return there to come back here to drive her home. We'll finish our meeting as planned and I'll take you two ladies wherever y'all need to go."

Sookie was thinking of how she wanted to respond when her brother yelled for her from across the room. She motioned for him to wait a minute then told her clients that she would talk with them when she came back. She took their order. Sookie hustled to the hatch to drop off the ticket then headed for the panther tables.

Pam and Tony talked about construction and waterproofing basements while listening in on Sookie's conversation at the panther tables. Jason was telling her that Tony was a Were and that Weres are dangerous. And why was that scary ass blond from Fangtasia there? He said that after Sookie went home tonight, he'd need to keep her car since _some people_ had to get up to work in the morning. Jason would have continued, but Sookie had had enough. She walked into Sam's office in the back and came out a minute later with car keys in her hand telling Jason that unlike him, she could get a ride home. The bell rang back at the hatch and Sookie saw an order to be picked up.

She took the order to Pam and Tony's table. "Is there anything else you'd be needing with that?" The answer was no, as Tony's eyes bulged at the sight of the huge portion of Jambalaya set before him. Sookie looked back at her brother, then turned back to see Tony and Pam. "If y'all really don't mind, I'd like to take you up on your offer." Both responded that they didn't mind at all and that it would allow the twosome more time to work on a business agreement.

As Sookie left, Tony ask Pam if she could tell him about the housing needs to today's undead while he ate. Then they would get down to specifics. It was true that they would get more specific but it would be on another topic... once the panthers left. The fewer people that knew something was up the better.

Sookie went to each of her tables checking on her customers then went to the panther tables where the last of the group were about to leave. Calvin wanted a word with her. He was several years older than her, but in excellent physical shape. She and Calvin had a kind of history, but it was not what the panther leader wanted it to be. Calvin was a nice, hard working man but Sookie could never think of him as more than a friend. Calvin still held some hope. Sookie's grin got tighter and wider as she got near him. She might not be able to read his thoughts, but she was picking up something. When he spoke, he asked her if she realized just what could happen to her if the vamp and the Were started to fight. Mortals didn't stand a chance when they're caught between two supes. He would tell Jason to drive her home. If she's too pissed at him, then Calvin would do it himself. Now Sookie was really ticked. Calvin had no right telling her how she would get home or who would take her there. Besides, with the vibes she was getting off of the vampire and the wolf... well, they wouldn't be attacking one another in a harmful way. Calvin gasped and asked if the two were on a date. Sookie replied that she didn't think so, but that there was definitely chemistry between them.

The two people in question heard the exchange from their section of the restaurant and knew that the remaining panthers were watching. Pam decided to have a little fun with it. "What does a fur ball like you do after dark, when it's not a full moon?" She glanced over at the table to see that Calvin was indeed listening, maybe Jason too. She looked at Tony and stroked his arm. This was fun. Tony played footsie with her and then asked, "What does a dead lady like you do after dark when you're not working?" Calvin raised his eyebrows until they couldn't be seen and Jason looked like he was watching a show waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sookie hadn't heard any of what Pam or Tony said but she saw them playing footsie and stroking arms. The panthers left without another word.

Sookie went back to the bar to gather drinks for one of her tables as Tony and Pam got down to business. Pam started, "Your boss called to speak with Eric Northman. He wanted to know if we had heard rumors of people moving in on Sookie."

They had stopped the touchy feel-y stuff when the panthers walked out but started up again as Sookie walked by. Tony lowered his voice so that only Pam could hear. Others in the bar believed he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear. "I heard. Northman said that if anything is going down, he'll handle it and that he wants Alcide to stay out of the way."

Having caught the attention of so many spectators Pam took his hand, fondled it and then asked "Where _is _your pack leader?"

Sookie came back to the table to ask if Tony would like dessert. As she approached Tony answered Pam, "Shreveport. Our main location is just a few miles from your establishment." Then Tony asked for a slice of pecan pie. Sookie trotted off and the twosome continued their conversation.

With a mischievous smile Pam retorted "Then he is most certainly out of the way."

"You know something."

With a straight face Pam responded. "No. I don't. That's the problem. Eric is being uncharacteristically quiet."

Incredulously Tony said, "Maybe he's afraid it will frighten Sookie?"

Keeping with her poker face Pam tells him, "That may be. Officially I'm here to scout around and look for anything that might be brewing in case someone is coming for her."

Tony saw Sookie look in their direction, sighed and continued playing footsie with the vampire. "Huh. As someone who has been doing that during the day I can say that I've gotten jack shit so far."

Once again Sookie appeared at the table. She brought the pie and a warm blood. As she left, Tony took a fork-full of pecans and Pam continued the conversation. "Eric does not like that he got a phone call from a Were, and that the Were is trying to protect someone under _our _protection."

Tony stopped her before she could continue "Alcide could give a damn about making Eric happy. It's not about Eric."

Pam made her foot go up Tony's leg when she saw that a couple of Fellowship of the Sun members had a nice view. "Eric wants her to be safe. He appreciates Alcide's assistance in some areas, but he knows that Alcide desires her. Sookie is not Alcide's, she is Eric's."

Tony looked at Pam and then added his two cents. "I have no quarrel with your sheriff so long as he is not pressuring her into anything. Normally it would be a family decision or a pack determination if there was no family to speak for her. Her brother Jason doesn't seem to... she is a Friend of the Pack. She will always have the Shreveport Weres."

The two were quiet for a bit as the patrons shuffled out. A small group of college kids and Jane Bodehouse were all that was left. Sam had kept an eye on the designated driver of the college group, the strongest drink he had was a regular soda. Still, he watched the group stagger out and checked that the correct person got behind the wheel. Soon, Jane Bodehouse's son would come by to pay her tab and take her home. The staff was starting to clean up.

Tony asked Pam if she came to Bon Temps because of Alcide's phone call to Eric. She hadn't. She had spent three nights in Bon Temps before that call. Now, Eric wanted to find a day guard. If Tony stayed on for Alcide, that was fine with her. She would just say a day guard was in place.

The town drunk, Jane Bodenhouse was carted off by her son. Tony and Pam went out to the parking lot to wait for Sookie. Tony wanted to know if he ought to be in the woods at six again and Pam said six was fine.

Fifteen minutes later Sookie joined them in Tony's truck. Pam had offered to stand in the bed of the truck, but Sookie insisted that she ride in the cab with the mortal people. Pam sat in the middle. She was the meat in a mortal sandwich. It was a good thing that she wasn't thirsty.

When they got to Sookie's home, both vampire and werewolf went to work searching for potential threats. While in the truck, Pam told Tony that the Fellowship of the Sun had targeted Sookie in the past and that the FotS was just one organization that wanted to see her dead. They hadn't left any blatant threats lately, but it was best to be cautious. All of what she said was true, and it gave Tony a reason to help search the Stackhouse property. Tony remained in his human form except that he grew his snout for a better sense of smell. They combed the land for signs of potential threat. Nothing.

Sookie thanked them, invited them in and offered refreshments. She wanted to know how the two met. She was told that Pam and Tony had only recently met. They met at a job site. Technically that was true. They were both working to keep Sookie safe while keeping the sheriff of area five, as well as the Shreveport pack-leader, happy with the results. Sookie asked what Tony did for a living and Pam gave the answer, the complete and honest answer. That Tony worked for the Herveaux construction company which was opening an office in Bon Temps. Sookie grinned that awfully bright grin. She didn't outright accuse them of lying, but she wasn't buying it. Pam told her where the Bon Temps location was, that it was a nice house with a good layout. Then Pam mentioned that the house had a basement and that Eric was always looking for safer daytime accommodations for himself and his people. As the two shared more details on the construction business and the practicality of a basement, Sookie relaxed her goofy grin. She was starting to believe them. They hadn't really lied; they just didn't tell her everything. Pam knew that lying about Tony's employment with Alcide Herveaux would only have backfired. Bon Temps is too small a town to pull off such a fabrication.

Now that Sookie was more relaxed the conversation took a different turn. Sookie asked Pam if she was working the next night and Pam said yes. Pam then said that Eric was looking forward to seeing more "Buffy". What was a "Buffy"? Sookie explained that it was a vampire show that Eric thought was funny. Tony laughed and said not only was the show funny, but the thought of a vampire watching it was hysterical. Then Sookie mentioned the fun she had at the bar after Tony and Pam arrived. They were a riot. A few people thought that Bon Temps was going to become the new epicenter for vampires. There was a nest of Yankee vampires somewhere nearby in Renard Parish. They moved very recently. If they thought that a handful of vampires was a lot, something to fear; they better not go to New Orleans, or Shreveport. She was surprised that only a few patrons seemed to know about the new vampires being in the area. Both Tony and Pam noticed Sookie's signs of sleepiness. They bid her good night and left the house. Sookie watched as the two got into Tony's truck and headed down her driveway.

Tony stopped the truck when they got to the road. He asked Pam if she knew the vampires that Sookie and heard about. Pam said "no," she didn't know every vampire, but the new residents certainly would have checked in with the sheriff. Pam said that she would once again leave at a quarter after six, but that she would not be back the next night. She would be working in Fangtasia while Eric spent some time here in Bon Temps. She had hinted to Sam that Tony might like a dinner break and Sam said that he could take over for a bit in the evening. Pam said that Sam figured she was up to something, but didn't know what it was; She saw to it that Eric would not find a Shreveport Were in Sookie's woods. Tony said he'd be back on the property by six. Pam got out of the truck.

His truck pulled out onto the road as Pam took off for the woods and took out a cell phone.


	4. An Invitation

(4) An Invitation

Sookie woke up around eleven. Tony walked around the woods until he was certain that she had dressed and eaten. Surveillance was boring so he decided to take a different approach. He walked up to her front door and said that he was stopping by to see if she needed anything. Her brother's car was still in the driveway so Sookie was without transportation. Sookie thanked him for the offer. She didn't need to go shopping and though she had library books to return, she still had a couple of days before they were due.

He turned and looked out to the woods. "Does your brother come by often to hunt?"

"Rarely. Jason lives in our parent's old home. It's set on a large piece of property." Sookie regarded him for a moment. "If you'd like to hunt here you're welcome to it... You might run into a vampire or two while roaming the woods at night."

He smiled at that and thanked her. "I might take you up on the offer. The grounds near the Herveaux house are not good for running." He secretly had hoped it would work out that way. "Would you like me to call sometime before coming as a wolf so you'll know it's me?"

"I'd appreciate that."

Tony didn't want to leave Sookie alone during the day but their conversation had waned. He tried to think of something that could keep him from having to hide from her in the woods. Nothing came to mind. He resigned himself to an afternoon in nature and told Sookie to have a good day. Sookie followed him outside. She was going to pull out weeds.

As they came down the porch, Tony looked at the pile of firewood. Very little wood had been split; there was much left to do. He told Sookie, "It's awfully nice of you to allow me hunting privileges in your woods, how 'bout if I split some of the wood as a thank you?"

Sookie replied, "Oh you don't need to do that. My brother can take care of it."

He glanced at the pile of wood, and raised a brow. Sookie looked over at the pile too, and then agreed to let him split her wood telling Tony "that your log splitting payment includes a lunch too."

That couldn't have worked out better. He could stay and protect her if needed. And he did not have to sit on his ass hiding in the trees to do so.

A while later, Sookie brought in the day's mail and made lunch while Tony poured drinks and set the table. Sookie made sandwiches for lunch. She asked him about work and Tony replied that the business was waiting for some paper work to clear and he basically had time off until the paperwork went through. He commented on the quality of work in the new section of her house; the kitchen and back porch had been destroyed in a fire. The new section was very well done. After they finished eating Sookie grabbed another beer for Tony and looked through the stack of mail. One item had Fangtasia's return address. It was an elegant envelope. _Just like a vampire to spend a hoard of money to send a note._ She opened the envelope and found a fancy card inside. She looked at it funny. Tony asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I _thought _Eric was coming to here tonight." She stared at the card for a moment.

"Maybe he has a surprise planned."

She looked up at him briefly and back at the card. "No. Eric has sent me things before. This isn't his handwriting, or his signature."

He thought for a minute, "Maybe Eric had someone send you the card on his behalf. Like a secretary or personal assistant."

"No. Not with the message that is written on the card.... it says that my presence is, uh, desired at sundown. He wants to meet me at a Ritz Carlton Hotel...It's a good distance from here too."

"You sure it's a forgery of some kind? 'Cause if Eric wants you to do something that you don't want to do, I'll be happy to intercede."

"_That _isn't a problem. My problem is that the note is not signed with Eric's typical closing for me and the hand written message doesn't fit with something Eric would say."

She didn't want to show Tony the contents of the card; it was probably something horribly suggestive. As they contemplated the note, Tony got up to clear the table. He started with the dishes in front of Sookie so he could get close enough to the card for a good sniff. Sookie told him not to worry about cleaning up; she'd take care of it.

Daylight was waning. Jason's car was gone; it was towed to a garage while the two worked outside in the yard. Sookie had a lot of split wood by the time Tony put her ax back in the tool shed. She thanked him again saying that her brother would have gotten around to it eventually... even if it was next year. Tony smelled Sam but didn't say anything until Sookie spotted him and yelled hello. He asked if Sam had hunting rights and Sookie said he could hunt if he wanted to, but she didn't know if Sam hunted in his animal form. It seemed so odd to think of a collie hunting animals. Before leaving, Tony told her, "If a guy really wants to take a lady to a hotel he ought to at least pick her up."

She smiled and told him "Eric is a gentleman... Yes I will tell him about the note." Noticing his unease she added, "Eric will meet me here as planned, I am certain of that."

Tony nodded. "Thank you again for lunch and hunting rights."

"Thank you for offering to help with errands and for splitting so much wood." Then she chided, "Supes are some the nicest and _nosiest _friends I have ever had."

He left as Sookie went back inside.

Tony was back at the Herveaux house, freshly showered. He wore a t-shirt, jeans and boots. It was just past sundown.

He called Pam. He told Pam about the bogus invitation; that Sookie said she was not going because she knew it was a fake. She didn't show him what was written, but he got the impression that it was an invitation to a booty call. Tony explained what a booty call was and Pam laughed, mortals can come up with funny expressions. Sam was roaming her woods when he left for the day. Pam said that Eric hadn't left for Bon Temps yet; she had better get off the phone before he left so she could let him know what was going on.

Next, he called Tray Dawson's garage. His Harley was still there and the garage was close to 'Moon Walk', a Were bar that he wanted to go to. Todd Dawson answered. Todd would be there for another two hours if Tony wanted to come get the bike. Tony was there within an hour.

A big, thick, muscular, tall, dark hair brute of a man met Tony in front of Dawson's bike repair garage. Tray's cousin had taken over the business. They loaded the bike into the bed of the truck, careful to protect it from scratches. They hadn't seen each other since the funeral. Tony was a close friend of Tray's and it hurt when he was killed. Tony mentioned that he was headed over to Moon Walk and asked if Todd wanted to join. That made Todd happy. The three of them had been the best of friends since they were pups and lately it had felt like he had lost two "brothers" rather than one.

The men sat at a table in the bar, a beer in hand. The bar looked normal. No vampires were present, but there was a theme. Pictures and portraits of wolves and night scenes hung on the walls. One wall had a mural with a moon and a howling pack. Some nights, the bar was magicked to prevent humans from entering. Not tonight though. The bar was owned by Weres, but located in an area with a very small pack. The local pack was a sept of the Shreveport pack. Shreveport wolves had bars in their own city. Moon Walk got most of it business from normal human beings. The humans used to think that it was just a regular bar with a theme. They were shocked to learn, on the night of the Second Revelation, that Moon Walk was a bar owned by werewolves. Business picked up once word got out. The humans around these parts welcomed their Were neighbors. Mostly.

The two men talked about the Great Revelation, the recent one. They marveled at the changes. Some they lamented, but others were embraced. It didn't seem to bother people as much to have a _living _supernatural neighbor as it did to have a dead one. There were some trouble makers, of course. The Fellowship of the Sun had proved itself to be an equal opportunity hate group._ Not like us? Die evil minions of Satan!_

Todd said, "There is a rumor going around about some Yankee vampires. They moved to Renard Parish and bought a house only minutes away from a Fellowship building." He half laughed at the thought of it. "Maybe the real estate agent didn't realize the clients were dead."

"Maybe he didn't care... The vampires are stupid if they think the Fellowship Followers will be too scared to be a threat."

As the men talked, Ula, a forty-something tall brunette Were with short hair and a curvy body refilled their drinks. She mentioned that she heard the vamps were here from New Jersey. "Their queen has a long standing rivalry with King Felipe de Castro. Word has it that she plans to tear him down."

The queen had been trying to get at Castro for some time now. Castro's position in Nevada was well cemented and his subjects loyal but he hadn't ruled over Arkansas and Louisiana for long. Now would be a good time to seek out information and abscond with valuables.

It confused Ula. "What might the King have of value in Renard Parish? Shreveport, certainly. New Orleans, maybe.... Damn vampires are always betraying someone."

Ula left and the two friends changed the subject to football.

Out in the parking lot Tony asked Todd if he was up for a little adventure. Todd was game. Tony said they were going back to Renard Parish to scout the area near the fellowship building.

Realization dawned on Todd, "They're after Sookie. That's why Alcide sent you to Bon Temps? To protect his girl?"

Tony glared at him, "She is a Friend of the Pack. Make sure you mention nothing to anyone outside our pack." That was fine by Todd.

Tony said that they would do a quick search of the area. He wanted to get their scent that was all. The wolf would need to turn back into a man and get some sleep. He had to be someplace by six the next morning. They'd check out the area at a distance, if it smelled like someone was home Todd would distract them. Todd would catch their attention as he ran through the woods, while Tony poked around the house and picked up as many scents as he could.

They parked far from the fellowship building, near a small lake. The strip of road was deserted so the two quickly stripped of their clothes and changed form. They raised their noses and caught a whiff of vampire. The vampire scent led them to an upscale ranch house with a well manicured lawn. The canines sniffed the air. The vampires were away for the night. Tony distinguished at least two different vampire scents. One scent caught his attention; he smelled it on the card that Sookie had received. He had the information he wanted; the vampire's location and scent confirmation. The two wolves ran in several different directions and marked territory in some spots so as to confuse the vampires. Before going back to the truck, they both swam in the lake. Tony hadn't had so much fun sniffing around since Tray was around, but tonight was fun. They got in the truck and left for a warm place to sleep.


	5. New Alliances

(5) New Alliances

A red corvette was parked in the driveway. Eric was either staying somewhere on Stackhouse property or very close by. Now that they were married according to vampire tradition, he likely had a well hidden spot on her property. Maybe the house had a hidden light-tight room. It didn't seem very smart though, staying with her during the day. Eric was dead during daylight and would not be able to defend her should the need arise. The ancient vampire had his many of his own enemies too, mortal and immortal. His car in her driveway practically screamed, "Here I am." Maybe the witches' magic would keep out all intruders and not just the supernatural kind. Tony hoped so.

As he was speculating on the information from the previous night and the implications of Eric staying the day in Bon Temps, Pam appeared in the woods. "You're cutting it close. The sun will be up soon."

"Eric is on the phone with Calvin Norris. The situation is more serious than we first thought. Expect to have company shortly." She looked out at the rapidly lightening sky. "I will be at Fangtasia tonight, but Eric will be at the house with Sookie. I have to leave, watch your tail."

Pam ran off like a bat out of hell.

Roughly half an hour passed. A group of three men approached. They looked like men. They were actually werepanthers. One of them was the panther leader Calvin Norris. The two men with him had similar features, both in their late teens or early twenties. Calvin introduced the man that looked like a younger version of himself as his son Cole Norris and the other man as his nephew Dwight Hart.

Calvin explained "Eric Northman is concerned for Sookie's safety during the day… No, Eric didn't call me. He called Jason and I happened to be there." He pressed his lips. "He didn't say much, but it was obvious to me that he wanted Jason to spend time with Sookie for her safety and not just for them to mend fences. I got on the phone and told him that if we knew the real story we might be better able to help. Damn vamp was tight-lipped about whatever is going on."

"He gave you no indication?"

"No. He told Jason that Sookie is still upset about something that happened between them. He says Jason needs to spend some time with her to smooth things over. Eric clearly wants Jason to spend time with his sister." The disbelief was evident in his voice.

Tony looked out at the pile of split wood, most of which was completed by yours truly rather than the brother; then at the house. "I don't know what's happened between them two, but it doesn't take an expert to see there is something between them."

Calvin leveled his eyes on Tony. "True. But this comes as we're hearing rumors of an abduction attempt… Jason is a panther. Panthers help each other."

Tony spied the driveway, query on his face. Calvin responded.

"Jason has some stuff to take care of and will join us later."

The lone wolf looked at each panther in turn. "We all need to stay well inside the tree line. Sookie can easily sense us out in the woods. If we're quiet and don't catch her eye, she may not reach out with her mind… Just before you all came I'd done a circuit around the property. There are no new smells present in the area."

"There are a couple of spots out here where we will keep post." Calvin pointed in two different directions. "One being near the cemetery and the other directly opposite."

Tony liked the panthers well enough, but they weren't Weres with a capital "W". He resigned himself to allow them to help. "Fine. If ya'll don't mind, I'll be back shortly." Remaining in human form the Were tread through the woods.

In an area of woods far from Stackhouse property and panther ears, Tony called Alcide Herveaux. He reported to Alcide that Sookie had received a bogus invitation and that it had been sent by a new vamp in town. The vampire's scent was nowhere near the Stackhouse home… Curious that Eric called Jason to get him to spend time with his sister, to "work out their problems." Jason's car was in the shop now and Tony was certain that a vampire caused the problem so that Sookie would have her bitten-panther brother around. The vamps want her protected, but they didn't want Sookie to know.

Alcide wanted to know more about the vampire that sent Sookie the invitation. Tony did not know what the vamp looked like, but he had learned that there were new vamps in Renard Parish. He found the nest and caught two scents; the invitation was sent by one of the new residents. Ula over at New Moon thought that the new vamps were from New Jersey. The Queen Bloodsucker of New Jersey had a long standing feud with King Castro. The New Jersey vampires must have heard something about Sookie.

Alcide decided to come to Bon Temps. The pack master arrived in a short time.

Alcide was not alone when he arrived. Sookie's woods were filling up with supes today. Alcide was joined by a tall man, though short for most werewolves, with a deceptively thin build and brownish red hair. Introductions were made. The Shreveport Pack Master said that he brought Darrell with him as Darrell had spent a lot of time with vampires at a job he'd done. His companion might have some insight for them. In truth, werewolves prided themselves on being the toughest of the two-natured and the Shreveport pack would not be bested by some small-time wereanimals. The group formed a routine with stationary posts and a circuit around the property.

In the late afternoon a grey Chevy Tahoe turned into the driveway. Every supe in the woods went on alert. Tony indicated to Alcide that he had an idea, and pointed to his phone. The Boss nodded. Tony called Sookie. "Hi Sookie, it's Tony. Is it okay with you if I come out hunting today?"

She was upstairs and the radio was on. "Common over."

"Thank you. I'll be over in a bit so you can see what I look like when I'm _me_"

Sookie chuckled. "I don't have any plans aside from cleaning, so I'll be home. See ya in a little while." The two hung up and a vacuum turned on upstairs as the Tahoe parked.

There was no need to tell the others what Sookie said, they all heard. Whoever was in the driveway was not expected.

Five women in their twenties got out. They were smiling and giggling as they went up the front steps to Sookie's house.

Her doorbell rang. Sookie didn't hear it but did turn off the vacuum. It rang again and then Sookie came down the stairs to answer the door. The telepath paused a moment. She probably wanted a kind of mental picture before opening her door to strangers. When she opened the door the ladies got even more excited.

The ladies were dressed for a night on the town. They told Sookie that she was going to love being their sister. As a pledge, Sookie had initiation events to tend to and they started _right now_.

The confused blond looked at them. They seemed to believe what they were saying. The telepath looked at each girl and informed them "I'm not a college student and have never pledged anything before. Ya'll must have the wrong address."

The sorority sisters laughed, "Real funny Sookie." Three of the girls moved closer to Sookie. "You needn't be shy hon. Sure, there's some embarrassing stuff that happens to pledges but that's part of pledge week. You'll be laughing with us in no time." Sookie furrowed her brows. "You came to _us _to pledge and we like you so we ain't letting you drop out." Three girls grabbed her and started pulling her down the steps.

There was a growl. The sisters stopped and turned to see a large wolf. One of the girls let go of Sookie. The wolf stepped toward Sookie and two of the girls latched to her tried to move away while keeping Sookie in tow. Three of the girls were slowly backing to the Tahoe as the wolf neared Sookie. The sisters clung to themselves and to the abductee-to-be. The wolf pointed his nose at Sookie and the girls reacted by pushing Sookie toward him. Jason pulled up in his sister's car.

Jason's first reaction was to smile pretty for the ladies. Then he saw the wolf and asked what was the hell was going on. Sookie didn't know. She told Jason exactly what had happened. None of it made sense. As a telepath she knew that they weren't lying. Not intentionally. Maybe they were glamoured. Sookie would ask Eric when he got up. He'd want to speak to the girls.

The sisters looked even more alarmed. One girl muttered "When he gets up?" Jason and Sookie ignored the question.

Another sister clasped her hands together praying that Eric was not a vampire.

Jason thought that the girls should "stay until Eric meets them. I hate to say it, but that vampire is good to you. He should know about this."

In a panic, four of the girls started to move toward the car. The wolf snarled causing one to shit herself. The girls stared at the furry hell beast. The supes in the woods chuckled.

Darkness approached and the sorority girls were sitting on the enclosed front porch. Shit-girl had a different pair of pants on. All of them looked scared. On the other side of the screen door was a large, hairy wolf. Inside the house was… probably a vampire. Sookie opened the front door and a titanic vampire was behind her. His fangs were already showing.

He walked to the front of the porch, looked at the wolf and thanked the wolf for helping his wife. Eric wanted Tony to leave. Having made an impression on the ladies, his fangs retracted. Tony headed for the trees.

The supes in the woods eavesdropped on the conversation. Eric got the address of the place that the sorority sisters were supposed to report to.

One girl, Sarah something, mustered up a bit of courage to tell Eric that he couldn't keep them there. People would look for them. Eric said he didn't give a damn and that they would tell him where they were from and what they were last doing before coming here.

Each sister was from a different state but all attended the University. All were students at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Eric knew they were telling the truth, Sookie was a good lie detector, particularly with full fledged human beings.

The telepath was able to pick up that two of the girls were Fellowship of the Sun Members and neither could wait to find out what the Soldiers of the Sun would do when they found out that a vampire held them. _And _had glamoured a poor girl to do his bidding. The Fellowship would help.

Sookie quietly shared her insider information and Eric was pissed. The couple turned back to the sorority girls. Eric glamoured all of them. Instructions to the Stackhouse Estate were rewritten, with two major errors and the girls only remembered that the instructions took them to a swamp. They would go to the address for the pledge initiation and explain that the directions were no good.

The girls left in a stupor.

Eric kissed Sookie. His kiss was part proprietary, but more adoring. His wife went back inside and locked the door. She knew him well enough to know that he would be gone for while.

Two wolves, a bitten panther, and a full panther trailed the Tahoe and left the area. Eric smelled the air as he came down the front steps. Human-form Dwight and human-form Tony met him in the yard. Eric commented that Alcide should not have come. Tony was not interested in discussing whether or not his pack master had a chance with Eric's wife; Sookie was a Friend of the Pack. Too many times she was in danger and no one in the pack knew. The pack offered protection to its' own and Friends too.

Eric was less than thrilled to have Weres in his wife's life. He growled a low growl. "I'm going to find out who is waiting for Sookie."

Tony glanced at the house. "We'll stay with Sookie, just in case."

The vampire gave a stiff nod and left so quickly that a normal human being would not have seen the sequence.

The next couple of hours were very quiet. Sookie came out to thank Tony for intervening with the sorority sisters. Then she said that she knew that there were others supes nearby. She sensed them earlier. One other was still in the woods. Tony said that the other guy in the woods was Dwight; Jason planned to meet some of his Hotshot group in her area of Bon Temps. Sookie said that sounded like a Jason thing to do. He and his friends were welcome to hunt, but she wished he'd tell her first so that she didn't have a scare.

Eric returned. Instead of going into the house, he went to the back yard. Sookie would be fine now. The threat was no longer. Some lone wolves had heard about Sookie and thought that they would further themselves if they had her. The wolves hired a vampire acquaintance to glamour the girls to bring in the telepath. Eric was even more certain now that his wife should not be around wolves.

Tony asked Eric about the invitation. Eric knew that it had a vampire scent on it; it must have been written by the vampire that was hired.

The wolf kept his tone as neutral as possible as he spoke with the ancient vampire. "Did you know that the vampire is staying in a home near a Fellowship building?"

Eric didn't say. He made no facial indication.

Tony continued. "There's a new vampire home in Renard Parish. I checked it out. There were a number of vampire scents. Most were faded but two were very strong. One scent belonged to whoever sent Sookie the note."

Eric looked at Tony with inquiry. "No, Eric. I didn't read the note. I only got close enough to smell it."

Eric commanded, "Show me this house." Then he added "please."

By unspoken agreement the panther stayed while Tony the wolf and Eric the vampire ran to the vampire home.

Once they were near, Tony pointed with his nose. Eric poked around the area and picked up scents. Someone was inside. He went to the door. A medium height vampire with a slight build and a receding hairline answered the door. Eric greeted him and explained who he was.

The sheriff reprimanded, "Giovanni, you are remiss in your duty to check in with the local sheriff. As is your nest mate. When will he be back?"

Giovanni cowered. "John is out for the night."

Eric growled his disapproval and gave Giovanni a card. "You are both expected to show tomorrow at seven."

He was about to turn around and head back when Giovanni caught his attention to ask a question. Giovanni twisted his mouth thinking of what to say when there was the sound of ferocious canine attack directly behind Eric.

Eric knew the canine's smell and immediately assessed what was going on. He had Giovanni by the neck before Giovanni realized it.

Tony had pushed John off balance as he was about to stake Eric. The two struggled on the ground. John bit Tony. Tony yelped, snarled and growled. The vampire tried to stake Tony and grazed his leg. The wolf grabbed the stake with his teeth and spit it out off to the side. John managed to get out from under Tony. The wolf leaped and pushed him into a tree. Vampire John was impaled by a tree branch in his own front yard. The whole battle lasted less than a minute.

Eric, with his prisoner in hand, searched the house. When they reemerged, Eric was wearing thick leather gloves. Giovanni's skin smoked where he was bound with silver. He told Tony that a vampire named Kurt was on his way to take Giovanni into custody.

Eric asked Giovanni if there was anything he wanted to say. Things would go much easier for him if he cooperated. If Giovanni wasn't forthcoming, Eric had some very persuasive interrogation techniques. From Giovanni's reaction he had heard of them, but he didn't say anything. While waiting, the phone rang.

The answering machine picked up. "Her wolves have been destroyed. She is pissed. What the fuck is taking you so long? How much trouble can a goddamn human be?" The caller hung up.

Eric demanded that Giovanni tell him who was responsible for the mess. Giovanni didn't respond. Eric played with the silver moving along his skin, tears of blood trickled down his face. Yankee would not say. He was as good as gone if he did. Eric looked at Tony and asked if he had any idea who it might be. Tony nodded his head affirmatively.

Giovanni became very agitated again and annoyed Eric with his antics. Eric picked him up and said that what Giovanni spoke next would determine his fate. The Yankee vamp threatened that Eric would give Her what she wanted if he knew what was good for him. Eric shoved the damned Yankee. Giovanni was speared by the same tree branch as his nest mate. To which Eric simply said, "Oops." Then he phoned Kurt and said not to bother coming.

The vampire looked around then at the wolf. "You surprise me. We should talk. Back at the house."


	6. Family Ties

(6) Family Ties

Eric and Tony were at the Stackhouse estate. Sookie was in bed sleeping. Tony was dressed and sat on a couch. Eric entered from the kitchen. He held a warm bottle of True Blood and a cold beer. He gave Tony the beer. "You intervened. A vampire attacked another and you got involved. Why?"

Tony was incredulous. "Why? What does it matter...? It bothers you?"

"No." _Yes it did bother him_. "Thank you for your help this evening." Eric was reluctant to say it, but forced it out. "I owe you a great debt."

"Just don't tell anyone." He quipped, "I'd forever be at the mercy of the pack."

"Huh. You truly are a unique wolf. I'm beginning to understand why Pam speaks of you."

The supe clarified. "You have done a lot for this area, area five. It's like a whole other world since you took over... I know you're no saint. You kill humans and torture them..."

"Only the ones that deserve it."

He pressed on, "I've seen you with your people. I've heard them talk about you when you weren't around. I've seen how you are with your wife... you're more like us than I would have expected."

Was Eric shocked or angry with that statement? It was hard to tell.

Tony started; he might as well finish the thought. "We have our own rules and laws to live by. We do our best to live with them and we protect the people we care about."

Eric's face turned grim. "It's not easy when they are so easily damaged. Speaking of which, you have an idea as to who is after my wife?"

"We believe it's the New Jersey Queen."

"Hmm. That is a disturbing thought. Queen Levana is... Well, she is everything a wolf thinks a vampire is; perhaps worse than that. She is cruel and ruthless, even for a vampire."

"No matter her status as a vampire's bride, Sookie is entitled to protection from the pack as long as she remains a Friend. She'll be protected during the day."

Eric let out a long sigh. He didn't have to breathe, but it was the only palatable response.

"Don't worry about Sookie and Alcide. He may still carry a torch for her, but she only sees you and he knows that." Tony believed what he said. He hoped that he was right.

Eric looked at a clock. "I'm going to call Calvin Norris and tell him there's a possibility that one of the wolves was out when we attacked the house. He'll want to be around to protect Sookie in case the wolf tracks our scent here."

Tony looked a bit confused. "Eric, the Shreveport pack is here to help. The panthers are fine people, but..."

Eric looked him right in the eye. "Dawn will be here soon. You have been up all night and need sleep, Hot Shot is nearby so it will not take Calvin long to get here."

Tony returned the stare. "I need to call Alcide. Tell him what's going on."

Eric made a displeased guttural sound.

The supe sighed. "He is my pack master." Tony stood up. "I'll stay on guard until relief shows." He picked up his empty beer bottle and left.

***************

The next day, close to dusk, Tony pulled into Sookie's driveway. Sookie was outside repositioning part of a decorative garden border. She was dressed for work.

The wolf inhaled the air as he got out of the truck and smelled three Shreveport brothers. Two panthers were there too. Sookie didn't look too happy. She might just yell at Tony. "I already have an escort."

Yup. She's pissed that she was being protected. "I'm here to see Eric."

"Oh." Sookie lost her reason to rebuke him. "He's taking me to work in a few minutes."

Tony wanted to tell her not to go but held his tongue. "Eric is not going to be there?"

"He's dropping me off and picking me up. He is not my baby-sitter." She was defensive.

Eric appeared and startled his wife. She admonished him then kissed him. He turned to the visitor. "Tony."

"Thought you should know that the Fellowship of the Sun is saying that their neighbors were killed by vampires." There was a hint of humor in his voice. "Ironic that the neighbors killed were vampires."

Sookie was shocked. "The Fellowship of the Sun doesn't know, didn't know, that their neighbors were vampires?"

Eric looked lovingly at his wife. "We have many methods at our disposal."

She gave him a hard look. "Like what? Is that an "extra" that some vampires get? Some can fly, but others can walk in the sun?"

"No darling. I've never heard of a vampire coming across that ability naturally."

Tony perked up. "You've heard of vampires walking in the sun by some other means?"

Eric stared into space for a moment. "There have been stories through the years... that a vampire acquired an object spelled by a master witch; the object allows the vampire in possession of it to roam during the day." He pulled himself back in the moment. "But those are just stories. The most likely scenario is that they were glamoured to believe they saw him, or them, during the day."

The supe scanned the woods. "I would have called, but supes don't carry cell phones when changed... they needed to know too." He looked at Eric. "I'll be back in a couple of days."

Eric moved closer to Tony. "Is something wrong?"

Tony watched as Sookie looked at the time and started for the car. "No… family obligations… Todd and Dwight will be here."

The vampire was not thrilled. "You can't get out of it? Your presence is the least objectionable."

"Wow. Is that a ringing endorsement? I'm the least objectionable. "He turned to his truck. "I've family coming. They'll be here soon."

Eric let his eyes roam the woods, and paused in two directions. Both contained a Shreveport wolf.

Tony smiled. "My _brothers _aren't the family I'm talking about."

Without another word, Eric and Sookie got into the corvette as Tony went in his truck.

Both cars left the driveway.

Later that evening Tony sat at a table in Merlotte's. Eric had dropped Sookie off and left. Two panthers were in the room as well as a wolf couple from the Shreveport pack. Tony was seated in Sookie's section. He had already ordered and was waiting for the food when Pam arrived. Like before, the restaurant got quiet when she walked in.

Pam spotted Tony and walked over to his booth. Her nose wrinkled at a smell coming from the booth. She turned her nose to Tony. The smell was on him too. "Family?"

He quickly realized that she smelled the other scents on him. "Yup. The smell gonna kill ya?" He motioned for her to sit.

"Funny. I just missed the family?"

He smiled serenely. "No. The waitress Claire abducted him. He'll be back any minute."

Pam raised a brow. "Eric was unhappy to learn that you are unavailable."

"I have family obligations. As someone that is married to a mortal, Eric ought to be more understanding."

"He understands. That doesn't mean he's happy about it."

"Then he'll get over it." Tony noticed during their exchange that many bar patrons were watching them. He leaned over the table, "the people here find us entertaining."

Pam leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Those panthers think you're out of your mind for dating me." Her smile broadened as they both did their best not to laugh at the thought.

Waitress Claire came to the table with a child on her hip and a booster seat in one hand. "He is such a cutie. If you two wanna go out sometime and ya'll need a baby sitter, I'd be happy to spend some time with him."

Claire scuttled off and Sookie came to the table with a toy, a coloring sheet and some crayons. "Hi there. You disappeared before I got to meet you. I'm Sookie. What's your name?"

"Gordon."

"Pleased to meet ya Gordon. How old are you?"

He held up a hand and stuck out four fingers. "Four".

Sookie looked at him. He looked closer to six. "Wow." She meant it too. "You are a big boy." He beamed at her. The telepathic waitress left to tend to her other tables.

Pam was very still. "I'm not accustomed to being near little people." She subtly moved her nose away from the child.

Gordon sniffed the air near Pam. "Are you a vampire?"

She turned to look right at him. "Yes."

"I never met a vampire before. Mama hates 'em."

Pam looked at Tony. "What about your Daddy?"

"Daddy's got vampire friends." Tony was not sure how to react to that, neither was Pam.

Sookie came by and placed food on the table. She asked if anything else was needed then asked Pam if she could have a word.

Sam's office door was closed so the ladies talked in the hallway. The conversation was private to humans, but any supe that wanted to listen could.

Sookie knew that the younger the person was, the better they smelled and tasted (baby's blood was very tasty). She wanted to make sure that Pam could handle it. Pam said that it wasn't all bad. The boy's scent was different because he was a Were, and that helped. Pam also made mention that she was not a newly made vampire. She could cope.

Sookie went back to work and Pam went back to the table to talk.

It surprised Tony to see Pam since he knew Eric was around. She said that Eric was having her guard the outside perimeter tonight. Until then, she was bored and wanted something to do so she came to the local watering hole.

When the Weres were finished eating Tony paid the bill, which included a True Blood, and left Sookie a nice tip. They got up to leave, said "good night" to Pam and waved "bye" to Sookie as she tended a table.

A short time later, Tony and Gordon were at the Herveaux construction house. Tony watched Gordon brush his teeth. "Don't swallow it Gordy. That's my boy."

"Pam's pretty. I like her."

"Uh. Okay." _She's okay for a bloodsucker, just don't turn your back_. "Go put on your pj's."

"Then you'll read to me?"

"When you're in bed, of course. You choose the book." He smiled.

"I wanna vampire book." He said hopefully.

"I think there's a Sesame Street book with Count Von Count."

"Okay."

"Now go! Get ready for bed." He teased, "I'll get you in a few minutes." Gordy squirmed and giggled then ran off to the bedroom.

Later that night, Tony took out his cell phone as he checked on his sleeping son. He called Alcide and moved to the living room couch. Tonight was quiet all around. Well, sort of. No attacks took place and there were no big developments. Just the continued rumors of yet another vampire coup. The two then talked about family. Tony was happy to be spending time with his son and wished there was something he could do about the mother. She was his mother yes, but she was a bad influence on him. As long as Gordon's mother toed the line as pack member, there was not much Alcide could do to intervene.

Tony hung up the phone and went to bed.

***************

The two men ate a hearty breakfast the next morning; buttermilk biscuits, grits, Red-Eye gravy, ham and eggs. They discussed their plan for the day. First they could go to the bookstore and look for a new book. There was a park in town that Gordy might like to play in. After the park, they'd come home and eat lunch and Gordon would take a nap.

That is exactly what they did.

After his nap, Tony asked Gordon what he wanted to do. Gordon wanted to play wolf-back ride. He smiled at his son and said he'd like that too, but that was an outdoor activity. People around here weren't used to seeing wolves and he didn't want someone to think that Gordon was being hurt. Gordon didn't cry, but he was very sad. He loved to ride on his daddy's furry back. Tony sighed, and then called Sookie to ask if he could use her woods. She was farther off the beaten path then he was. Sookie said to come on over. She sounded elated.

Later in the afternoon, Tony and Gordon came to Sookie's home. Sookie heard the truck coming down the gravel and met them outside. Gordon smelled the air, "Hi Uncle Darrell. Hi Uncle Todd." A couple of barks followed. Sookie smiled a natural, no-stress smile. Tony thanked her again for letting him use her woods to spend time with his child.

Then he told Gordon to wait where he was. He knew the rules; Gordon could not be near Daddy while Daddy changed.

A minute later, the now familiar wolf approached Gordon. Sookie stood next to him. The wolf licked the Gordy and the boy giggled. Then Gordon went next to the wolf. The wolf lay down and Gordon got on his back. Tony turned his head toward his back, looked at Sookie and did a minor body shake. He was telling Gordon something. Gordon looked at Sookie. "Thank you, aunt Sookie."

She smiled at them. "You're welcome. Have fun."

They headed off for the trees. Gordon prodded his dad, "Faster Daddy." Tony did a weird kind of trot, it wasn't a run, but he wasn't walking either. "That's not fast." Before Gordy started to be unruly the wolf started some funny body shakes. Not the type that a canine did when he was trying to dry off. These were gentler shakes so that the rider would not fall off. Gordon laughed and giggled through the woods.

As they came back toward the house later, Tony was dressed and picking nature from his son's hair. They had had a good time.

Sookie looked out a window and saw them coming. She headed for her back porch.

"I'm hungry." Gordon complained.

"I was thinking pizza tonight."

They all met on the porch. Sookie waited a moment as the two came up the back steps.

"You're pizza's not good."

"Ouch. Thank you for telling me. But I was thinking Pizza Hut." He turned to Sookie. "Thank you again. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"No. Really, it's fine. But you know I have a craving for pizza too and I ordered one about five minutes ago. It's gonna be awful big though. Might need some help."

He turned from his son to look at Sookie. "You're a subtle as a brick."

She shrugged. "I knew he was hungry long before you came back."

He looked down at his son. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I was havin' fun."

Pizzas were delivered. She ordered multiple pizzas. Weres ate more than most humans, but this was excessive. Sookie looked around for a minute. She grabbed a fist full of napkins, and then put them back. She left two pizzas in the kitchen and took the rest outside. Sookie went to the tree line and said that they might like some hot food. She set the pizzas down and went back to the house.

Sookie loved spending time with Gordon. As evening approached she listened attentively while he told her stories about his preschool friends. She brought out a coloring book and crayons when he was done eating.

When all three were finished, the adults cleared the tabled. Sookie started the dishes while Tony put the remaining slices away. She looked out the window as she put a dish on the dish rack. Something startled her and she cut herself on a knife that was sticking up.

Tony knew something happened outside. He could sense it. He told Sookie and his son that he would see what was going on and would come right back.

He went outside and walked to the tree line. Tony smelled the air, and then approached a nearby wolf. "Bobcat?" The wolf nodded. "If the scent didn't scare it off before it got here I guess it knows to be afraid now… young?" The wolf nodded again. Tony went back inside.

Eric was awake and washing the knife that Sookie had accidentally cut herself with. Her cut was gone as well as any smell of natural blood. A bottle of synthetic heated in the microwave. Eric had an inquiring look. Tony answered the unspoken question. "A young bobcat wandered through."

Eric looked amused. "If they weren't here protecting Sookie, they would have chased."

"Probably. We don't hunt everything just because we can." Tony watched as his son showed Sookie something that he drew. "I think Gordon likes Sookie."

"Yes. She has a way with little humans, doesn't she?" There was emotion under the statement but Tony couldn't tell what it was.

Gordon's bedtime neared. It was time for father and son to leave. They both said goodbye and thanked Sookie for her hospitality. Then they headed home.

**************

The next day was a brilliantly sunny day. Before heading out, the phone rang. Gordon's mother wanted to know when the best time would be for her to pick him up. They agreed on a time, then Tony handed his son the phone. Gordon was having a good time with Daddy. Daddy had vampire friends. He and Daddy met one of them at a restaurant and she was real pretty and funny even if she was dead. Tony wanted to tell his son to stop talking about the vampires. But what would his son think?

They spent most of the daylight hours in the city. Gordon loved the new Disney film. He thought it was funny how the animals could all talk like people. He was four, and he knew better. Gordon visited almost every exhibit in the Children's museum. The more stuff to climb on and mess with the better. His favorite part was when Daddy looked to be his size! Gordy rode his first merry-go-round, but was disappointed. The animals didn't come alive and all you did was go around in circles. Wolf-back riding was way more fun. It was a good day for them. Gordon slept on the way back to Bon Temps.

The sun hadn't been down more than an hour when Tony and Gordon entered Merlotte's. Pam was sitting in a booth and looked at them when they entered. She wasn't happy. They walked to the table. Pam motioned for them to sit.

Tony could smell Sookie's scent, but turned to see her with his eyes. Then he looked back at Pam. "What's wrong?"

Pam stared at him. She was silently pondering something when Sookie came up to the table and spoke to Gordon. "Hey Gordon, come with me." She held out a hand. "My friend Sam just showed me a new game. You're gonna love it."

Gordon looked at his daddy and Daddy nodded approval. Sookie took Gordon to Sam's office. Sam followed.

A minute later Sookie came back out and headed for Tony and Pam's table. Sookie was on a mission. "Seriously Pam?"

Pam took her stare off of Tony for a moment to look at her friend. "Do you have any other ideas as to how or why?"

Tony looked at each of them in turn. "How or why, what?"

Sookie answered. "Someone found Pam's day location and dug it up."

Tony was shocked. "What?" _A good sign that he had nothing to do with it._

Pam scrutinized his reaction. "The scent left behind was Were." She glanced at Sookie then returned her stare at Tony.

Tony nodded to Sookie and she put her hand on his arm as he spoke. "I'm right here so you know if the scent was mine or not. Yes, as a Were I could track down your day location... but why would I do that? I wouldn't do that. I have nothing against you."

Sookie smiled broadly. "He's telling the truth."

Pam turned her gaze to Sookie. "What else did you get?"

The telepath tried to reign in her smile and said, firmly that "Tony did not have any part in what happened earlier today."

"So what was with the goofy grin when you said that he was telling the truth?"

Her face had a hint of that tight-smile look when she's stressed. "Oh, I don't know."

Both Pam and Tony looked at her, query in their eyes.

Sookie's head movement reminded Tony of a bobble head as she told them, "it's not...I don't wanna embarrass ya'll."

Pam was very attentive. "You've piqued my curiosity."

Tony was a bit more cautious. "Mine too."

That surprised Pam. "You too? You don't know what you were thinking?"

"Well I wasn't thinking of anything embarrassing… not to me anyway."

They both turned to their telepathic friend. She looked back and forth between them. "Ya'll ain't gonna let this go are ya?"

The vampire said "No."

"You wanna know…" she sighed, "When Tony said that he wouldn't track down your day location... that wasn't entirely true. He'd do it if you were in danger." Sookie left the table and checked with her other clients.

The wolf and the vampire regarded each other for several minutes.

"Aside from me being a Were, what made you think I would be a part of such a thing?"

Pam looked toward Sam's office. "I recognized the scent. No. I know it wasn't you, but it was someone you know." He furrowed his eyebrows in question. "It's a scent that your son carried on him yesterday and lingers on his possessions."

Tony's face fell. "His mother? I'm so sorry. I thought it was over." Now Pam looked at him quizzically. "His mother is very... possessive. Sandra loves trouble and is good a creating it. The pack must know about this. Had she found you, she would have killed you. She could have started a war."

Pam did not expect a pack of Weres to side with a vampire. "What would they do? It's not like Weres would be sad to see a vampire die."

"I don't exactly know. She might be killed because she causes so much trouble and this may have put it over the top. Or worse, she could be abjured by the pack. I'd have abjured her if it weren't for Gordon." He started to move from the table. "Can you show us where it was? Alcide will need evidence."

"There's no point in hiding it now."

"Alright. I'll be right back."

Tony stepped outside and called Alcide. He explained everything. Alcide was on his way to Bon Temps.

He came back in and told Pam that they'd have just enough time to eat. She informed him that Eric would be there when Herveaux came to investigate.

True Blood and food was brought to the table. So was the little boy. Between his bites, Gordon went on and on about the game that Sam had. It was called Packman. You ate lots of stuff and some stuff made you stronger and able to eat the funny things that tried to eat you. Pam asked if this Packman had fangs. Gordon told her it looked like a circle. But when the mouth was open, part of the circle was gone. She commented that the game must have come out before vampires did.

They finished their meals. Sookie walked around to her other tables. A Fellowship member that had been sitting in another section came out of the bathroom. As she headed back to her seat she _accidentally _crashed into Sookie, causing the contents of the tray to be dumped and one of the glasses to brake. Pam's fangs ran out. Sam gave the offender a cold hard stare and when the bitch rolled her eyes, Sam said that he'd prefer that she and her friends not return.

Sookie and busboy D'Eriq cleaned up the area and got most of the glass.

Tony discovered that a piece was missed when his hand grazed the side of the booth. A fragment that was stuck in the booth caught him. He pulled his hand up to see that it bled. Pam's nostrils flared. Tony said he was going to the men's room to clean it and would be right back.

Gordon looked confused. "Daddy?"

"What Gordy?"

"Vampires like blood."

"Yeah. I know. They're not allowed to feed in public."

Pam interjected. "We're not allowed to bite in public."

"Sookie lets vampires lick her boo boo's."

Nearly everyone in the bar heard this and turned to look at Sookie.

She defensively informed them, "it's vampire etiquette."

Some patrons shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The small Fellowship group that was getting up to leave looked disgusted.

Taking in the scene and the hateful looks of the departing FotS members, Tony extended his hand to Pam. Pam looked at the Fellowship group standing in the doorway and licked the blood from Tony's hand. When she finished, she thanked him for his consideration.

The tension lifted. Then Tony realized people thought Pam might have turned psycho with the sight or smell of blood. Most of the people were more relaxed now; even one member of the FotS group looked at the vampire differently. The rest of the Fellowship members were just as disgusted as before and they exited the door.

Tony pulled out his wallet to pay for the bill. Sam came up to the table and said he knew them two had something that they needed to do. Gordon was a good kid and was welcome to stay and play in the back while they took care of nest and pack issues.

The wolf and the vampire looked at Sookie. She shrugged.

They talked it over for a few minutes. If Pam and Tony got held up for some reason and didn't get back before the place closed, Gordon would go home with Sookie. Only Eric or Sam could escort them. He wasn't comfortable with the idea of his child being near a vampire he hadn't met. They expected to be back before Gordon's bedtime. He kissed his boy on the forehead and reminded him be good. They left the lot in Pam's car.

The car pulled up a short time later in front of Bill Compton's house. They got out and he followed as the vampire walked into the woods. She stopped once they were at the edge of the cemetery.

Eric was there along with Alcide and two other wolves. The two approached. Alcide looked at Tony, his nod confirming what was suspected. Alcide spoke first. "Her scent is all over Compton's property too. Sandra must have been sniffing for her scent inside the house… She's gone too far. Do you know where she is?"

Tony was absorbing the information. "No. But she's supposed to come pick up Gordon tomorrow morning around nine thirty."

Alcide regarded Tony. "You'll need to stay somewhere else tonight. We'll take her in when she comes. Gordon shouldn't be there."

Tony looked at Alcide as if there were more to say. Alcide looked back at him, expecting him to speak. Finally, he did. "Sandra is... formidable." The others now had his full attention as he continued. "She's not as strong as us physically, but... the Pelts... they dabbled with magic. You never know what to expect from Sandy."

Eric broke in. "Sandra Pelt? Daughter of Barbara and Gordon?" The wolves nodded their heads, Pam was mystified. "Where are Barbara and Gordon now?"

Alcide was nonplussed. "They died several months ago."

The vampire's fangs popped out. "How convenient."

Now the group gawked at Eric. Eric gave an abbreviated recount of Sookie's problems with Debbie Pelt, Alcide's ex. Then he told them that after Debbie disappeared, Sandra hunted her down. Eric said that the last time he saw Sandra was when an agreement was made; The Pelts were to stop gunning for Sookie and he would not inform the pack master of their misdeeds. Sandra wanted no part of the agreement, but Gordon gave his word. As long as Gordon and Barbara Pelt were alive Sandra was bound by the promise made.

The Pelts were dead now. The day time resting place of two vampires close to Sookie, Sandra's target, had been disturbed. It could hardly be a coincidence.

Pack Master Alcide wanted to speak some more on the subject but held his tongue. He took out a hotel key and handed it to Tony telling Tony to get what he needed out of the house and then head for the hotel. The room number was on the key. Alcide and his enforcers would stay in the house. Then they exchanged car keys. Tony's truck ought to be in the driveway when Sandra pulled in.

Tony told his boss that his own truck was back in Merlotte's parking lot. Alcide perked up and said that was great to hear, he wanted to say "hi" to Sookie. And he wanted to hear from her why she didn't tell him about her problems with the rest of the Pelt family.

Alcide looked at the time then at Pam. He wasn't sure how determined Sandra was to get at one of "Sookies Vamps." There would be a few hours between sunrise and Sandra's showing up for Gordon. In other words, Sandra might try again. Pam said that she would be staying inside a protected area come sunrise.

The group scattered. Pam and Eric left. She drove, he flew. _Who'd get there faster?_ Alcide and Tony got in Alcide's car and headed for the hotel while the other two wolves left for the house.

They did all they could for the night. Alcide collected some items to take back to the house. Next, they went to the house so Tony could assemble things to take back to the hotel. Then they left the hotel for Merlotte's. There was not much else to do.

Alcide spoke with Sookie, and Eric talked with Sam, while Tony found his child sleeping in Sam's office.

Tony gathered his son, said "good night" to the others, and took him back to the hotel.

No one was hurt or killed, but it had been a tiresome day. Tony lay next to his son and slept like a rock.


	7. Capital Criminal

(7) Capital Criminal

"Daddy, daddy. The phone is ringing. Can I get it?" Gordon shouted in his father's ear.

Tony stretched. He nodded to his son who dashed to the phone. It was Alcide.

It was nine forty-five and Sandra hadn't shown. Sandra was not known for being late, unless it was to make an entrance at another woman's party. Maybe she knew something was going on? Maybe it was just a blown tire, or some other road hazard. But he didn't trust it.

Gordon heard that. "Trust what Daddy?"

"Uh-the... Captain Hook."

Gordon smiled wide. "He's not real Daddy."

"It's a good thing too. Don't ya think?"

As he returned to the phone conversation, Tony nodded "yes" to his son's unspoken question. _Could he watch cartoons?_

Tony said that he wanted to check out the Compton place now that it was light. He just needed a sitter. Both agreed that Sookie would be great with Gordy, she loved kids; but she had a semi-permanent target on her back. He had another idea and hoped it'd work. The two men hung up with an agreement to meet again at lunch.

Tony went to a drawer and pulled out the yellow pages. He found the number for Merlotte's and called to ask if Claire was working. Claire had the day off. Tony told Sam he was thinking that Claire might like to sit for his boy. After a series of calls (Sam didn't want to give Claire's number without her permission), Tony took Gordon to Claire's home for the day.

After dropping off his kid, he headed for Bill Compton's place. Bon Temps police, in the form Kevin Pryor and Kenya Jones were at the house.

Kevin and Kenya were Yin and Yang. She was a tall, authoritative, muscular, black woman. He was a slight, approachable, white man with a runner's body.

They watched as Tony pulled up in his boss's car.

Tony got out and the officers approached. They asked who he was. Tony told them and asked if everything was alright. The officers looked at each other then simply said that there had been a break in.

Tony went on alert and came close to using the feminine pronoun when he spoke. "They got inside?" Neither officer answered. He looked at the door. It was fine. But a window had been broken and opened. "Is everyone okay?"

Kevin stammered. "That's what we're trying to figure out sir."

"So what are you waiting for?" Tony sniffed the air discreetly.

Kenya gave tony the once-over "Sir. Could you tell us how you know...?" She cut herself off. They weren't people, and it wasn't for her to say that a vampire lived here.

"A friend of mine came here. I need to know that she's okay."

Kenya and Kevin both chimed, "She?"

"A friend of Mr. Compton's. They often work together in Shreveport." He started to move to the house.

Kenya stepped in front of Tony. "I can't let you go in there sir."

"What if I have a key?"

"You have a key?" Kevin looked skeptical.

"I can get one. But I don't see why it's needed, with the window open like it is."

The officers glanced at each other, then at the house. Kevin fixed on Tony's eyes. "Still can't let ya in sir. It might be dangerous. A wolf came out that there window right as we pulled up. There could be more inside."

Tony was grim. "There aren't any more."

Kenya's brows drew together. "How could you know that?"

Tony started for the house again, amid protests from the police officers.

Andy Bellefleur arrived with Sookie in his car.

Sookie's face was set. She seemed to know what was going on before she was fully out of the car. She caught Tony's attention, showed him a key on her key chain and threw the keys to him.

He went inside and came out a few minutes later. "The wolf damaged the house a bit. Knocked some stuff down, but there is no sign of an attack on anyone inside."

Tony had also found a couple of hiding places that were disturbed, but he'd found one that remained steadfast. His nose told him that Compton and Pam were both inside.

Sookie looked very relieved. Was she able to _hear _him? Did she know that he was certain Pam and Bill Compton were safe? Everyone looked at Tony, so no one noticed when Sookie shook her head "yes" to Tony's silent question.

Happy that the wolf threat was gone, the police finished looking about and writing down information for their reports. They got ready to leave and Sookie told Andy that she would stay behind with her friend Tony. Andy seemed to know he shouldn't ask why.

Once the police were gone, Dwight Hart appeared. He adjusted his clothes as he neared. He was stupefied. "We didn't smell her. We should have been able to smell her from Sookie's place. We heard the alarm go off… Todd went to check it out 'cause it's close to her place... A few minutes later he called for a chase. I can smell her now. It was a Were?"

Sookie ignored the question and went into the house to look around. Tony followed her in. They walked past the stairs and went to a room in the back. The door was open, but there was another door just inside. It looked like a bank vault door. Compton had installed a safe room. The door was scratched to hell, but otherwise fine. A nod from Tony told her that he was certain that the vamps were safely tucked inside. He had repeated himself without even speaking.

After touring most of the damaged house, they made their way back to the kitchen. The refrigerator had been opened and most of the blood let out to dry up. Two bottles of blood remained. Tony picked them up and smelled them.

His reaction to the smell gave her pause. "What is it?"

"This is blood from a baby." Both were horrified. "Vamps love baby's blood."

Sookie was exasperated. "There is no way that Bill or Pam would do such a thing." She calmed herself. "Might there be silver in the blood?"

"Maybe. The baby scent is so overwhelming that I can't say for sure." He saw an emptied bloodbag on the floor. Tony picked it up and sniffed. "Vampire blood. Why would a vampire drink vampire blood?"

Sookie's mouth twitched, she tried not to let her nervous smile show. He noticed. "What's going on Sookie?"

"Okay. I'll tell, but we have to get rid of that bag before the others come and you have to swear to me that you'll not use what I tell you against any of my friends." She put her hand on him and he agreed to her terms.

Tony dashed outside. He ran to Sookie's place and started a trash burn. The bag got tossed in. Dwight sat on the sideline and watched the process. The two natured communities were very private so hiding stuff from humans was par for the course.

Tony returned and raised his brows at Sookie. "Bill was hurt real bad and he needs a lot of blood to recover… If he…" she choked on her words then continued, "Vampire blood has healing powers that human blood doesn't." She tried to smile.

He summarized, "So Compton has been MIA because he's ill." She nodded.

"I can guess what made him ill, but I won't ask. And I won't say anything about it to anyone." He pressed his lips together. "But if Sandra figures it out... Whoever is helping him should know. Does Pam know?"

"Yeah, but..."

"But Eric is in charge."

"Uh huh."

"This could get tricky. Alcide is pulling into the driveway."

The two went outside and met Alcide. Tony told him that Sandra had gotten inside, trashed the place, spoiled most of the blood, the remaining blood might be tainted, and that she had made a concentrated effort on the door leading to the vamps sleeping quarters.

Alcide smelled humans and Tony explained that the alarm went off so the humans came to investigate.

Alcide went into the woods and came back twenty minutes later. When he returned he asked to see the unspoiled blood. Tony got it and gave it to him. Alcide sniffed it and his eyes went wild with rage. "Meet me back at the house in forty five minutes." He turned to Sookie. "I'd like for you to join us for lunch."

"Okay. Sure."

Alcide left and Sookie went back inside.

Tony followed her, "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna clean up as much of this blood as I can before we have to go. Blood is hard to clean up. Everything'll be permanently stained and the smell will just get worse. Bill's not himself right now..."

He held out his hand. "Give me a sponge. It'll go faster if we work on it together."

Thirty minutes later, the kitchen floor looked almost presentable. They agreed that it was good the blood spill was pretty well contained to one area.

As they left the house, Sookie set the alarm and locked the door. Tony didn't say a thing.

Alcide had taken his car back and left Tony's keys in the truck. They got in the truck and heard a wolf's howl. A few howls echoed in the distance. "Alcide just called us to dinner."

Outsiders might have thought it was someone's birthday. Strike that, a company party. After all, they were at the Herveaux construction office/house. There was all manner of food including several large steaks. The smell was heavenly.

The wolves discussed strategy. Rabie Something was told to go check out Sandra's place of work and home, find out what she'd been doing around there. Another was ordered to fetch a pack of TruBlood to compensate for the bottles broken by their "sister", and then he'd return to the Stackhouse property. Two would go back to guard the Compton place in case she tried again. Two others were to make contact with neighboring wereanimal packs to warn them about the rogue, and to ask if they knew her whereabouts. The rest would watch Sookie until this mess was over with. Alcide needed to talk to a witch if anyone knew of one nearby. Sookie said that she could call her friend Octavia, she might help.

Todd asked how Sookie's roomy Amelia was and Sookie shrugged. Amelia, a witch, was Tray Dawson's girl when he was killed. She was crushed. The wolves that had met her thought she was a nice person for a witch. They thought maybe she was the One for Tray. Where did she disappear to?

While steaks began to cook, Sookie asked if there was a spot she could go to to make a private call. Alcide showed her to the bedroom that worked as an office.

If she did make a call, she didn't talk long. Tony knew some women that would talk for over an hour about nothing. She probably had to check her voice mail and wanted privacy to do it. Weres heard everything.

While they were eating, Alcide took a phone call. He didn't say anything about the call until after everyone had his fill, the clean up was underway and people were ready to leave. If he'd said something about it while they were eating, some of them would have lost their lunch.

He told the pack that Tony and Sookie found some suspicious blood. The blood was tested. The test confirmed their suspicions. The blood was laced with silver particles and the blood was from a human newborn baby. The group was outraged all over again.

The group began to separate. Alcide would take Sookie home. As she headed out the door, Sookie gave Tony a piece of paper with a drawing on it. "I promised Gordy that I'd draw one for him." She smiled then left.

He jumped into his truck and started down the driveway when his cell rang. Pack members, and friends, Genavieive and Richard heard that there was a rogue in the area. They'd be happy to take Gordy until things were resolved. Tony appreciated that. They were good people.

Tony drove to Claire's house to pick up Gordon. He parked next to her place.

Before getting out, Tony pulled out the drawing Sookie made. Only this time, he looked at the whole drawing. It was night; there were three vampires (they had fangs), and a large dog (probably supposed to be a wolf). She wrote an address underneath the picture. A moon was next to it. One of the vampires had a name under it, "Bill". She didn't label any of them as Eric or Pam, not that you could tell which was which. Nor was there a label under the wolf. There was a short person though, maybe a doctor. Was it wearing a stethoscope or a necklace? Sookie wanted him to go to this address... it was probably to get real blood for Bill. Then it dawned on him that she must have called Dr. Ludwig while in the office.

Claire and Gordy met Tony by the truck. He thanked her for taking him on such short notice and paid her. Claire liked sitting for Gordy, she'd be happy to do it again.

The boys headed for the hotel. Tony said that Aunt Genavieive and Uncle Richard were coming and they were going to take Gordon on a trip. Gordon got excited and asked if his daddy was coming too. Tony said that he had to work, but he'd get to his son as fast as a wolf once he was done.

A few hours later, Tony was headed to an address about an hours drive from Bon Temps. It was not what he'd expected. It was a medical office building. Supe scents were all over the grounds. So was the scent of magic.

Dr. Ludwig was well known in the supernatural community. Most of the time, she made house calls. He'd only met Dr. Ludwig at the site of a battle or in a friend's home. This was a new experience.

He walked in and asked to see Dr. Ludwig. He'd have to wait, she was with a patient. In the meantime he could fill out the insurance forms. Tony explained that he wasn't there for treatment and the receptionist looked at him cross-eyed and said she'd be right back.

Tony was led into an office. The diminutive doctor got right to the point. "Whatta ya want?"

He held out Sookie's picture. "This means something to you?"

"Sookie Stackhouse sent you huh. She said it'd likely be a wolf. Didn't think she could get here herself." Dr. Ludwig opened a refrigerator and pulled out a bag of blood. He smelled the air, it was vampire blood. She placed the bag in a thermal container and handed it to him. "Here ya go. Now get out."

Night was closing in and he had a way to go. Tony might make it before dark. He was tempted to speed, but what if he were pulled over? A human cop wouldn't be any problem even if the person recognized the container as being one for blood; he could claim that it was donated human blood. But if the cop were vampire or even another supe; they'd know the blood was not human. He could be accused of draining. _Shit!_

He obeyed every posted speed sign and rule of the road.

He pulled up in time. There was no sound yet coming from inside. The Weres posted near the house moved away. The vampires would be awake at any minute. _Fuck_. Would he be able to tell them, her, what happened while they were dead to the world? Could he make her understand before she attacked? _Maybe if he called her on the phone and talked to her before getting out... too late._

There was a loud crash inside. Someone, probably Pam, was searching the house. They knew the house had been broken into. They'd have smelt it.

The air whooshed around him as he saw Eric fly by. The door of the house opened and a ravenous looking Pam calmed at the sight of her master.

Eric explained what had happened during their sleep.

Eric was much older than the others, so he woke first. Sookie told him what happened and he rushed over before a calamity ensued.

The sentry guards left.

Once the wolves were out of sight, sound and smell, Tony grabbed the thermal container in his truck. Eric noted the timing. The other wolves didn't know what was in the container.

With stiff form, Eric thanked Tony. Tony said he ought to thank his wife and Eric replied that he thanked her whenever he could find a reason.

As Eric walked into the house, Pam said that Eric always had a reason.

Tony pressed his lips and rolled his eyes a bit. Pam waited for him to speak. "It's good that Bill Compton had that safe room put in. You wouldn' be here otherwise."

"Another selling point for your homes with a basement… if it can double as a safe room." She said.

"That's the goal... but I wonder what... does Sookie have a safe room?" This question surprised her but she said nothing. "If Eric stays there during the day, and I'm sure he has... how safe is he?"

Pam smiled and laughed. "You were thinking about the safety of a vampire."

He became defensive. "I was thinking of the materials needed, and cost, to make a vampire safe room. …Part of the business."

"As my friend Sookie says, _my bullshit meter is pinging_." She laughed some more.

His phone rang. Alcide was calling.

The boss was about to call Northman. The New Jersey Queen knew about Sookie. Yes, Sandra was behind that too.

A few minutes later Eric appeared in the doorway with a cell phone held to his ear. He closed the phone.

Vampire Eric's body went rigid. His fangs extended. He bellowed, "I'll rip her fucking throat!"


	8. Supernatural Summit

(8) Supernatural Summit

Sookie's living room served as the Supernatural United Nations Headquarters. The room was full of dangerous creatures. All were there to speak because the house had charms on it. The charms offered some protections that other locations did not.

It also had a new, temporary charm. Anyone listening from outside the house would hear noises made by party goers. The real conversation would be concealed from outsiders.

Ever the hostess, Sookie had set out an assortment of drinks and snacks for her guests. She was uneasy about not having seats for everyone and told Eric that they could bring in the chairs from the kitchen. There were some in the shed too.

Eric said that the summit would not last very long. The humans could sit if they wished. The supes would stand. Crowding the room with chairs was unnecessary.

The ancient vampire was not very calm. He was seeing red. At least talking to Sookie helped him to dial it down a bit.

Sookie's wizened witch friend and former roomy Octavia Fant was there. She was a beautiful black woman with silver hair. Her age might let some people think she would make an easy victim. They would be wrong.

Octavia had asked if her friend Louis could come; he was very powerful and might be able to help. He was there too; an older, dark skinned black man with tribal tattoos. A scent of magic flowed from him.

Pam was there and so were Victor Madden and little Thalia.

Thalia loved to hunt and kill but Eric insisted that she toe the party line while she was under his domain. Now she might get to kill someone with his permission.

Calvin Norris and three panthers (including Jason) were there.

Alcide Herveaux and a handful of Weres also were present. Correction, many Weres. But most of the pack remained outside.

Friend of the pack, Sam Merlotte was there too.

Each group of supes stood behind its leader: Sam stood behind Alcide with the Weres. Pam and Thalia stood behind Eric and Sookie. Victor Madden sat on his own. Louis and Octavia sat side by side. The panthers stood behind Calvin Norris.

The meeting began with Eric recounting the events leading up to this summit. Then Alcide proceeded to share information.

"Sandra moved north about a year ago. She got herself a job working as a guard at a casino. It is presumed that Sandy learned of the Queen's rivalry with the King while she was up north... _Normally, we don't give a shit what the vampires do to each othe_r... In very short order, Sandra was working as the Queen's day guard."

There were murmurs in the room. Sandra Pelt moved north only a year ago and was already working so closely with the Queen? That was difficult to believe.

Alcide continued, "Sandra's parents dabbled in magic while they were alive. It appears that Sandra has learned from them; she is able to mask her scent. And I remind you that she gained the queens favor in record time."

He told the group and abbreviated history of Debbie and Sandy Pelt, including the agreement that Sandy would not harm Sookie under penalty of final death. He left out the fact that _he_ wasn't there. "An Investigation has proved that Sandra never gave up her plans to kill Sookie. Further evidence, though inconclusive, suggests that she killed her adoptive parents so that she could go after Eric's wife." He forced out the last two words. It was his way of acknowledging their relationship. A corner of Sookie's mouth turned up when she heard it.

The pack master took a deep breath. "Sandra joined a Fellowship church in Newark, New Jersey and ingratiated herself with the clergy. She was very popular in the Newark branch and was asked to come to Renard Parish to speak. Two of the queen's men followed Sandra to Renard Parish. It's believed that that was when she started to push her agenda ahead and go after Sookie."

"She's not the toughest Were physically, but she is cunning. Her methods are unconventional and unconscionable." His eyes closed for a moment and he clenched a fist. He was so angry that his body wanted to turn. "She drained a new born baby of its blood and laced it with silver."

The crowd was shocked. Pam too. Eric hadn't told Pam. Maybe Sookie couldn't say the words to Eric. Sookie was crying.

Alcide raised his voice, "She is the worst kind of monster. She must be stopped; alive or dead."

Sookie cried some more. Eric stepped up and looked at her, then at the assembly. "I'll drink her dry and dance on her corpse."

The next few hours were a roundtable. Octavia and Louis could only guess what magic she was using. They had some ideas, for blocking her scent mask and for tracking her too. There was no way to know if their stuff would work, without knowing more about Sandra's magic. They would need something of Sandra's to get started. Alcide said that Sandra hadn't moved much out of her parent's home, they could look for something appropriate and the Book of Shadows might tell them something too.

Victor Madden was certain that he could get Sandra into trouble in New Jersey. Officially, Sandra was Victor's most trusted day envoy. Ha ha. Once that got out, the queen would be sending people after her.

Sam said that the shifters had some people inside the Fellowship, keeping an eye on things. Getting the FotS to believe that Sandra was pro-vampire would be no problem at all. Especially now. The Queen had a website. Sandra was in some of her posted pictures.

The Fellowship must not peruse vampire sites. The FotS would be interested to see their darling cavorting with the dead. Sam then added that Bill Compton was the one who found the website with the incriminating photos.

Calvin Norris said that he thought the panthers ought to take over guard duty during the day. The wolves growled at the suggestion, and Alcide told them to shut it.

Calvin figured that Sandra knew the Were scents and wouldn't attack when she was near to one. As for panther scents, she might not know that Jason is a panther. If she does know, then she'll also know that he's bitten and not born. Translation: easy to pick off. There was no reason to believe that she knew his scent from any other panther. She might smell Calvin's son, and think it was Jason. If Sookie is the target, maybe they ought to let her think that the pack was done protecting a human.

The witches then chimed in to say that they could definitely mask smells. It would be easier to do within the house since it had protections on it already. They could have whoever was inside smelling like Sookie and Eric if that's what they wanted.

Eric would fly Sookie to an undisclosed location for the day. That way, there was no trace of her scent to track on the ground.

Five wolves would remain inside during the day. One would be a blond, a couple of inches taller than Sookie with a smaller chest. From inside the tree line a wolf would think it was Sookie. Once out from the trees, you would be able to tell it wasn't her. But his girl Bella had wolfs ears and would stay away from the windows if she heard someone coming near the house.

The motley crew disbanded. The Weres that would return for the day, headed for a bed. The panthers established posts outside. Sam said good night and walked with the witches to their car. The witches waited in the car for Alcide, they were going to follow him back to Shreveport.

Victor looked to see what faces remained inside; Sookie, Alcide, Tony, Pam, Eric and himself. He addressed Eric. "Tell me, why are you so lenient with the wolves sheriff? Is it because your human fucked the leader? I'd prefer her former lovers to be dead if I were you."

Eric's face remained neutral, while his hands became tight fists behind his back. "The pack master is honorable, for a wolf." He looked back at Sookie and softened a tad. "All of this happened because of us. My Sookie was on a job the night she met Debbie Pelt." That was a new piece of information for Pam and Tony too. Tony indicated to Alcide that he wouldn't say anything. Pam smiled, then looked at Sookie and Eric. Victor Madden simply said that it was "interesting" and left the home.

As soon as Victor Madden was gone, Sookie recanted his invitation. Then quietly told Eric that Mr. Madden creped her out. He kissed her on the top of the head and hugged her.

Alcide and Tony left too. Some Weres would be over by five thirty. He had a scheme for Tony to employ. It would start at his normal Stackhouse report time.


	9. Greeneyed Monster

(9) Green-eyed Monster

Tony woke up and went to the Stackhouse residence as he was now accustomed to doing.

Jason was up in a tree, sitting in a hunting chair. There were other panthers in the woods. He didn't see any of them, until he looked up. The cats lay on tree branches. _How clever_. Wolves didn't climb trees and the only big game that did, was bobcats. The panthers didn't smell like bobcats. Sandra might not know what the smell was until the panther landed on her.

He did his "lone wolf" protector charade for a few hours. Tony changed into some clothes and headed for the house when he smelled food cooking. He bounded up the back steps and went inside.

Tony made a point of telling Sookie/Bella that she didn't have to provide him lunch. Sookie/Bella said it was no problem. He washed his hands and set the table. They ate as they though this was routine. Tony wrote a message on paper, "You don't sound like Sookie." Sookie/Bella wrote back, "The witches say that I do to anyone listening from outside."

After lunch, Tony helped to clean up then asked if he could use her bathroom. Sookie/Bella said "sure". He went to the bathroom and made all the necessary sounds as he washed off as much of Bella's scent as he could. Before leaving, he picked up and held a towel that had Sookie's scent on it.

He thanked her for lunch and asked if there was anything he could do while she was stuck at the house. Sookie/Bella said that she only needed to return some books at the library. Bella had done some research. Or, Sookie still needed to return the library books and said something.

Bella/Sookie pointed to a plastic bag containing three books near the door. He picked them up. They were due the next day. Tony left with the bag in hand.

He added his clothes to the contents of the bag, and hung the bag on a tree branch. Then he prowled for a couple of hours as a wolf.

Sam appeared. Tony woofed and Sam barked his hello.

Tony changed back to his human self, dressed and left carrying books to return to the library.

Things had been pretty quiet.

Tony walked back to the Herveaux house, got in his truck and took the books to the library.

He drove back to the house longing for a beer.

* * *

The beer was cold and he savored the sensation as it passed down his throat. He relaxed on a plush couch opposite the flat screen TV.

The evening news was on. Reverend Newland of the Fellowship of the Sun Church was accusing Nan Flanigan of infanticide. His sole supporting statement was that she was a vampire. He turned the channel.

His cell phone rang. The caller ID said it was Sandra. He answered.

"I am so sorry for not getting there to pick up Gordy. I tried several times to reach you but something isn't right with my phone." _Maybe it's her location. _ "Something happened with the plane I was supposed to take and the flight got delayed. Before I could re-book, my boss called and asked me to do another job."

"What do you do now?"

"I... uh... I'm a personal assistant."

"Work for anyone I know?" Tony knew she wouldn't tell him the truth, but it was good to keep the charade going; lest she become suspicious.

"Nah. He's a crotchety old rich guy. He inherited his money. How about you? How's work?"

"Fine."

"I hear you're working as a guard." _She's fishing for information._

"I still work in the construction company... The 'guard work' is a pack assignment... it's about done though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. A small pack of Weres got it in them to abduct someone they thought was valuable. We took care of it." He regarded the phone. "Alcide will call me tomorrow to tell me if I'm to stay on. When do you expect to get back?"

The doorbell rang. Tony walked to the door and sniffed.

"Hopefully day after tomorrow." Sandra laughed playfully. "I have something I want to show you."

He opened the door and looked at Pam, but spoke on the phone. "If it's another manipulative attempt to get me to marry you, forget it."

He mouthed the name "Sandra" so Pam would know who he was talking to.

"Tony, don't be silly. I know you love me. You just forgot. When I get back to Bon Temps, I'll help you remember."

In a sultry voice loud enough for even a human caller to hear Pam spoke to Tony. "Mmmm. I can hardly wait to have you again."

"Goodbye Sandra," Said Tony.

"What? Wait? Who is that?" Sandra sounded upset, maybe even panicked.

He hung up the phone and let out a long sigh.

Pam gave him a look that had a lot of meaning. There was a chance that Sandra was watching.

He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her long and hard. Her fangs came out. She came in and turned to close the door.

Pam led Tony to the couch where he sat down and she silently indicated that they ought to liven things up. With their position on the couch, and the curtains only partially closed a voyeur wouldn't need much to get his kicks.

He reached for her and drew her in. She straddled him and then she kissed him. He kissed back. He kissed her neck; she nibbled his ear without making it bleed.

His cell rang. Tony picked it up to see who was calling. Caller ID said Sandra. Pam took the phone from his hand and put it down on the end table. They resumed the proceedings.

Sandra made three more unsuccessful attempts to reach Tony as he and Pam heated up the living room.

Pam had her hand in Tony's shirt when his phone rang again yet again. Pam let out an exasperated sigh as Tony flipped open the phone.

Sandra was yelling before he could say anything. "Who is she? What's that slut's name?"

With his free hand, Tony traced a finger down Pam's back. Sandra let out a frustrated scream. She was watching from somewhere nearby.

Tony's instinct was to get up, but Pam pushed him down. She was going to have her way with him.

The angry voice screamed, "Who's the fucking blond?"

Silence.

"How do you know what color my girl's hair is?"

"I guessed. She sounds like a fucking idiot."

"Sandra? Where are you?"

"I'm in New Jersey."

Tony got up and went to the window. It was open. He sniffed.

Sandra hollered,"You just sniffed the air. I could hear it. You don't believe me!"

As his eyes scanned the nearby area, Pam came to him from behind and wrapped herself around him. "Come to work with me? I want introduce my favorite lover to some friends." _Let's go to Fangtasia, we can talk there.  
_  
The caller screamed. The call was dropped.

* * *

The two went straight to Eric's office when they arrived at Fangtasia. Sookie and Eric were the only two inside the office. Pam closed the door.

Eric began, "Alcide thought Sandra might have a possessive streak like her late sister Debbie."

Sookie added, "Maybe that's why she attacked Pam's day time place. The fact that I know Pam would be a bonus in Sandra's book."

"That may be. We know now that she is definitely in the area though no one could see her or sense her while you were on the phone... A few minutes after the call ended, her scent was traced to a tree nearly opposite your window."

Sookie touched a small pouch that was worn around her neck. Eric was wearing one too. "The pouches might help ward off the effects of Sandra's magic."

Eric addressed Pam and Tony. "We want to try to test them tomorrow night. If proved successful, Alcide will call you Tony to tell you the danger has passed and take you off of official guard duty."

In the meantime, Tony needed to maintain appearances. Guard the house, keep "Sookie" company for a bit, let Sam take over in the afternoon and date Pam. The more upset Sandra was, the more likely she was to fuck up. The idea of Tony and Pam together was great fuel for the fire.

Neither Pam nor Tony received a pouch. If the pouches worked, they might react to seeing Sandra and accidentally tip her off.

It was getting late, and Tony needed to be up in a few hours to guard Sookie and her sleeping beau during the day. Okay, so he would sit outside pretending to be on life-saving duty while his "brothers" sat in the house all day. He needed to appear alert and rested for duty and that meant he had to go so he could get in some sleep.

He headed for the door when Sookie caught their attention. "If she's as crazy as Debbie was, she might..." She addressed Pam. "You ought to have some things at Tony's. If you really want to drive her crazy thinking you two are an item, put some of your things there. Like a toothbrush, hairbrush, extra set of clothes, um..."

Eric added with a leer, "Lingerie."

"No problem." Pam responded candidly.

"As someone who has been the target of a jealous Pelt, I suggest that you don't store your favorite clothes there."

Pam pursed her lips. "I like all my clothes. If that bitch touches my lingerie, she will pay in blood."

Eric spoke in a low voice for Sookie to hear but of course the other two heard also, "Pam does love her lingerie." Then he used a normal volume voice to tell Pam that he would replace any items that were damaged.

The fake couple left the building.

* * *

The next day started much like the previous. He did realize after a while, that he didn't smell anyone. Not panther or Were. When he stared into areas that were sentry posts, he noticed that the sentries wore the pouch around the neck. _The witches mixture worked both ways._

While camped out in the woods Tony asked himself how it came to be that he could sleep in the presence of a vampire. He would have never thought it possible, but he slept last night while she created a love nest in the basement, hung clothes in his closet and put a few toiletries in his bathroom. Even more disturbing; he liked what she did with the basement.

He "guarded" Sookie's house and went home after Sam showed up as his relief.

Darkness came and with it Pam. Pam entered the house as if she owned it and planted one on Tony. She asked if they had time before going out and he said there was plenty of time for her.

Pam wanted to show him something. He had to wait where he was, she'd come to him.

A few minutes later, Pam entered the room wearing a magenta fraulein costume from Fredericks of Hollywood. "You like?"

He shook his head "yes." God help him. He meant it.

She was having fun with this. Did she know how much torture this was? Yes, she probably did.

She reached for him. He took her hand and got up. They held each other for a moment and swayed together in full view of the window. When they stopped moving together, Tony pulled his head back enough to look down and get another view. She looked up at him as he admired her. They kissed.

Pam stepped away from him and teased. "Now you know what's on the dessert menu." She kissed him. "I'll be right back." She walked away. He watched every step.

She came back out wearing a fuchsia dress. The dress was sexy without being promiscuous. They went to see a movie and then went to dinner. Pam had read that that was a common date ritual, dinner and a movie. But wouldn't you eat after the movie, so that you had something to talk about at the restaurant?

When the movie was over, they went to Merlotte's for dinner. Sookie was their waitress. When Sookie came to take their order, Tony asked if garlic was used in any of the marinades or gravies. 'Cause he was thinking to get the porterhouse entree but wouldn't order it if it might bother his gal.

Sookie checked with the cook. The marinade for the steak usually had garlic, but not the gravy. She could have him cook up a porterhouse that hadn't been marinated with the house sauce. That was fine by Tony. He ordered an expensive brand of blood for Pam and a porterhouse steak with potatoes and gravy for himself.

When Sookie left, Pam started talking about the movie all over again. She'd heard of them of course, but had never been. The screen was huge, the loud sound effects were comical, and there were no commercials during the movie. Was it like that for every movie shown?

Tony smiled. The fierce vampire was enthralled with movies.

"Are the back rows reserved for the young ones to have sex?"

"No. It's illegal to have sex in public Pam."

"Oh I know that. But the humans allowed the rule to be broken in the movie theater."

"It kinda does seem that way."

Just as heads were starting to turn and absorb more of their conversation, Sookie placed their order on the table.

They ate, correction, he ate and she drank, and they talked about everyday life. She knew more about repairing vehicles than he did. She enjoyed knitting; it relaxed her. So did running. She could run circles around most vamps. Tony liked to play outside with his son, ride his motorcycle and cook. He also ran; he loved the adrenaline rush. They made a date to go running. _Did they really? _ Maybe it was for an eavesdropper's benefit.

He watched Pam drink her blood and asked if it was better than True Blood. She said that it was, but the most satisfying drink she's ever had was behind closed doors. The two hungers are closely related for her kind.

"How's that work? If you don't mind me asking. It just seems like an odd connection to me."

"How's your steak?"

"Delicious."

"Every time you take a bite of the steak, think about something that arouses you."

"Does earlier count?" _Shit!_ Did he just say that?

She smiled. "If that works. When you think about it, concentrate on it."

He did. By the time he'd finished eating he was ready for some privacy.

She leaned to whisper in his ear. "Now imagine eating that juicy steak as you finish." Pam wasn't talking about his food. She leaned back. "I guess it's not so different from people who like to eat food off their partner's body. Such people know how to satisfy both hungers, as we do."

Tony was sure his temperature had spiked. But not Pam. Nope, she was cooler than a cucumber. Damn her.

He asked Sookie for the check. Tony paid the bill and left a good tip. They left in Pam's car.

* * *

As they headed to the front door of the construction house Tony and Pam put on a big production, kissing and playfully pawing one another. Tony unlocked the door and the two walked in.

They stopped. Sandra's scent was in the house. She'd been inside while they were gone.

They looked around the sacked living room then went in two separate directions.

A few minutes later, they met back in the living room. Pam was holding rags. "That bitch has a death wish."

Tony was agitated. "Wait'll you see the basement."

The basement looked like a grenade went off. All wall hangings and room decorations were destroyed. The mattress on the bed and the cushions on the love-seat had their fillings ripped out. Material was strewn through the room. The bed frame was broken.

Fully aware that they might have an audience, Tony explained that the Were responsible was a jealous ex. Pam said that she'd track the bitch down and kill her, if that was okay with him. Tony kissed her and said that he wouldn't want to risk it. There were plenty of problems between their peoples. This was a pack matter. He'd need to call the pack master.

That is what he did.

_Were they supposed to be able to smell Sandra's scent? _To late now to pretend not. Not if Sandra had been listening to them.

Alcide appeared about an hour later. He looked at the extensive damage, the most severe being in the "love nest." Sandra's scent was all over the house. The boss made declarations that Sandra would be held accountable, she would be made to pay for what she had destroyed and unless she had an incredible explanation she would be abjured. Not only did she sack the belongings of a pack member, but she sacked a home owned by the pack master. The pack master was incensed.

Pack Master Alcide told them that he would arrange for a hotel stay if needed. The nearest vampire friendly establishment was a good drive from Bon Temps. He'd need to call right away if they were to make it before dawn.

Tony hadn't planned on Sandra so thoroughly trashing the house.

Pam told Alcide that there was a place nearby. A friend from work lived here in Bon Temps. She was certain that he'd help her and her man. This was a new development.

Several minutes later a couple of bags were placed in the back seat of Pam's car. Alcide beckoned to Tony. "We'll take care of Sandra. She'll likely be abjured but we'll get her in with a good psychiatrist first... and don't you worry about Mrs. Northman no more. We got to the bottom of it. Take a couple of days off." _The witches pouch worked. Sandra was visible tonight. The trap was set._

Pam drove to Bill Compton's home. When they arrived, she knocked at his door and explained what happened. Would it be too much of an imposition if she and her man stayed? She would vouch for the wolf. Bill permitted them in.

Pam said to Tony that she wouldn't be able to sleep with him during the day. The day spot only allowed so many bodies. He would sleep upstairs, but they'd see each other at dusk. She wanted him to see where she'd sleep so he would know that she was safe. He followed her to the safe room.

She pushed him in and closed the door.

Sookie, Eric and Bill were all in the little room.

Eric looked at his vampire. "She followed you here. You two should have sex upstairs where she can hear it and smell it." Sookie was shocked, but he continued. "That will keep her distracted long enough for the rest of the group to get into position. You two shouldn't wear a pouch yet. You won't have clothes on to hide it. Nor do we want her to recognize it for what it is."

Tony glanced at Eric. The sheriff addressed the unspoken question. "I'd like to spring on her myself, but she has magic. The magical playing field is still to her advantage right now." He sighed. "I regret that we may sleep during the battle. We expect her to attack shortly after dawn."

"Continued distraction it is." He looked at Pam. "Ready?"

"Anytime."

They left the room and closed the door.

"You go on upstairs. I'll be right up."

Tony was at the top of the stairs when he heard Pam say how yummy his ass looked. He turned to her and saw that she had drinks in her hand. She said, "Thought you might be thirsty."

They entered a bedroom.

He smiled at her. "Aren't you sweet?"

"Sometimes." She set the drinks on a chest of drawers. "I'll be right back."

Pam left the room. The sound of water filling a tub followed.

She returned, went straight for him and started unbuttoning his shirt. "You're very tense." He kissed her.

Pam directed him to gather the skirt of her dress. "A nice hot bath ought to help." He gathered the skirt and lifted the dress over her head.

He proceeded to hang her dress in the closet. "Only if you join me."

She leaned into him and kissed his chest. She worked to open his pants but the buttons didn't cooperate. Before she tore them off, Tony managed to get himself out of the pants.

Tony was going commando today. Pam enjoyed the view. He had beautiful muscle definition. She admired him for a moment, and then he closed the gap between them. He kissed the top of each breast as his hands reached in back and unfastened her bra. _How far were they going to take this?_ Her hands caressed his tight ass. _Farther than he had thought._

They heard a noise outside and stopped for a moment. Neither was wearing a pouch, so if Sandra was watching they couldn't see her. Pam acted as if the noise was just a bird or some other animal scampering by. She took off her panties and flung them out the window. He took her hand, and led her to the sound of running water.

The lavender scented water was soothing. Pam was fond of the scent herself. The two talked and joked and washed each other's backs.

When they were done, Tony started to get up to get a towel for Pam. Pam admonished him because she didn't get cold like he did. She insisted on getting out first. She held out a towel for him and dried him off. Then he dried her off.

They went back to the bedroom amidst a kissing frenzy.

His cell phone rang and they ignored it. A few minutes later it rang again. After a number of attempts, Tony finally picked up. He sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm pissed at you and I'm busy. What do you want Sandra?"

Sandra's voice was piercing. "I want you back. You can't leave me. Come back now. You don't belong to that bitch."

"Sandra. You never had me. What you had was a spell." He was exasperated. "You're right though, I don't belong to _a bitch_. My woman's a vampire." He winked at Pam.

Sandra screamed. She started to yell something about ripping out the cunt's something or other when he hung up on her.

He was distracted by the call. _Thank God._ His body didn't seem to understand that this was just pretend.

Pam's didn't know that either. _At least the bitch was good for something._

Pam gave him a light kiss on his lips. "You're tense all over again. If that is how you react after talking to that objectionable individual, you really need to cut her off." He pulled her to him, put his mouth between her breasts and kissed her cool flesh.

Pam commanded him in with a bedtime voice. "Lie on your stomach, give me a good view of your ass."

Tony couldn't help but chuckle. She prodded him to lie on his stomach and poured fragrant oil between her hands.

Pam's voice was sultry. "I won't bite unless you want me to. You just relax now." She mounted his backside.

"Pam?" She kneaded his back. "Oh. That feels nice."

"As it should. I know what I'm doing. Enjoy it."

He fell asleep as a vampire rubbed down his body.


	10. Law of the Paw

(10) Law of the Paw

Tony woke up alone in the bed. He had been covered with a sheet and a blanket.

There was a note left on the nightstand: _Daydreaming of my sexy wolf. Meet you at sundown. -Pam._

She must have thought that Sandra was watching and wanted to piss her off some more. That note would keep the jealous button pressed alright.

He got dressed. When he went into the bathroom, there was another note: _Food is in the kitchen._

There was a variety of food available; a few pieces of fruit, muffins, pastries, cereal. None of the food required cooking. Not that he could have cooked anything.

There was no cookware, no utensils, and no plates. There weren't any bowls either, so cereal was out of the question. _Hey, they couldn't think of everything._

He grabbed a muffin, a pastry and some fruit. There was orange juice in the icebox. Vampire Bill's kitchen did have glasses, so Tony had some O.J. too.

Tony leaned against a counter as he ate. He pondered his next move. He wanted to check out the Stackhouse property, but going there might tip off Sandra.

His thoughts drifted to his recent vampire encounters. He had never spent more than five minutes with one, until this situation reared up. Vampires had more self control than he had thought they were capable of. They were capable of good manners too... Twice, Tony had fallen asleep while a vampire was present. Last night the vampire straddled him, both of them buck necked, as he drifted off to sleep. What did that tell him? _He was fucking stupid_. Maybe. Maybe there was something in his drink or he had been cursed again... _Nah_... He wanted to believe that, because he couldn't believe it'd happened. Maybe the regular level of hostility would resume once he and Pam weren't faking a relationship. It was fun though... _stop that!_

Tony snapped out of his musing when his cell phone rang. It was Sandra. She hadn't moved in on Sookie's home.

"Hey honey. Where are you?"

"In a vampire nest." He knew that would goad her.

"You're not working today?"

"I will be over at the Herveaux house in a bit. You left a lot of damage."

Sounding like an overemotional and defensive teenager, she responded. "Her scent was all over. It had to go!"

"Where are you Sandra?" Keeping his voice calm was a challenge. But he managed.

Silence.

"Sandra, you need to turn yourself in. You damaged pack property, the pack master's property."

"I... I'll meet you at the house as soon as I can."

He hung up. Would she really be at the house?

Tony went to the upstairs bathroom, a windowless room. He found a bag with magic pouches and put one pouch around his neck. He tucked it under his shirt.

He headed for the office.

Tony hopped down from his truck and turned to close the door. Sandra was standing just a few yards away. _Was she supposed to be invisible to him?_

He feigned not seeing her and went to the house.

Sandra left the area as Tony opened the door. She must have wanted to make sure he wasn't on guard duty.

He sent a text message to alert his buddies.

The next hour was torture for Tony. It would be for any wolf. A fight was about to go down, or was going down and he couldn't be there. He'd rather be exposed to silver in his wolf form than to miss a fight.

Finally the call came. Sandra was in custody. She broke into the house carrying a wooden stake and medical equipment. Sandra was going to drain Sookie and then stake Eric and try to make it look like they'd killed one another. She tried to use magic on her "brothers", but it didn't work thanks to Sookie's friends.

Most of the pack was on its way back to Shreveport. A few stayed behind to clean up the mess made when they apprehended Sandra. They'd gather at ten for her trial. Sookie and Eric were invited to join.

* * *

Tony spent the next few hours cleaning up after Sandra's mess at the construction house, pondering her fate.

Tony didn't like her at all; she had always had a mean streak. She had used magic to snare him. Did the other Pelts know? Probably. _Maybe that is why Alcide stuck with Debbie like he did._ He hated her more than he thought possible. But he'd never say that to Gordon.

Gordon. _Shit_, if she lived, Sandra would be abjured. That was a given. If she was abjured from the pack, then her rights to visit Gordy would vanish. Tony didn't give a shit about her rights, but Gordy would want to see his mother. For that matter, abjurement was a pack issue. It would be just like Sandra to turn to the human court system to get what she wanted.

And if Sandra died? What then? Gordy was only four. Too young to understand. What could he say?

Gordy was just old enough to be near his relatives when they were changed, but he'd never seen them do more than play while in wolf form. Gordon had many years to go before his first transformation. Becoming a wolf was a process. He knew nothing yet of life and death. Would his first introduction to _death _be at his mother's sentence?

Pups had, at times, been present when a parent was killed by the pack. Sandra deserved that. Gordon didn't.

Tony spent the rest of the day in a funk.

The sun neared the horizon and Tony headed for Bill Compton's. They needed to be told about Sandra. Voice mail messages were sent, but they didn't always get through in a timely manner.

Tony sat on the front steps of the Compton home when he heard the first sounds of life. Sookie ran to a bathroom. A vampire, probably Eric, heated something in the microwave.

Eric opened the door, True Blood in hand. Tony turned to look at him. He tried to keep an impassive face but was too melancholy. Eric scrutinized his face, "The bitch is dead?"

"No. She's in custody. In Shreveport. The pack is gathering at ten, you and Sookie may join."

Eric looked at his watch then invited Tony in for a drink.

The wolf, vampires and human sat in the living room as the wolf related reports of Sandra's capture.

When he was done, Sookie left the room. Eric followed.

Their conversation was anything but private. Eric asked what was wrong. Sookie said it was Tony. She didn't know for sure what he was thinking, but he was very sad and hurt. Her guess was that it was because of his boy Gordy. It made her want to cry. Muffled sounds indicated that she did cry.

Tony left the house.

He stood on the gravel for a moment trying to decide what to do. There was so much tension in him he might explode.

Pam came out and stood next to him. "Take your clothes off. We're going for a run. See if you can catch me."

They spent the next two hours roaming the woods. They sprinted, raced, and chased. He howled and bayed.

* * *

The twosome returned to Compton's driveway. Eric held Sookie as she watched her friends approach. She looked a little bit relieved.

Ten minutes later, human-form Tony was dressed and ready to drive to Shreveport.

Eric and Sookie got into the corvette.

Tony looked at the dead blond and asked her if she was coming.

"I was under the impression that I was not invited."

"We worked on this together, you're a friend of Sookie's, and her mate is your maker..." _He was pulling excuses out of his ass... _Sookie smiled at the exchange. Pam raised an eyebrow and let Tony finish. "I don't see why my cousin would have a problem with you being there."

Pam looked to Eric and he nodded approval.

The corvette followed the pickup to a field on the outskirts of Shreveport.

There were many cars parked in the field. Aside from the cars, nothing was within eyesight. Not even the road they turned off of. Eric parked his corvette and flew himself and Sookie the rest of the way once it was clear that they would not be driving on a road.

The entire pack was present. Two septs of the pack were present as well. Sam was there too.

This was not a quiet gathering like many vampires were accustomed to. There was a din. A bonfire crackled, people in groups talked on all manner of subjects (the most common topics being the Pelts and past pack trials) ice crunched and drink bottles opened.

The foursome approached the pack master. Alcide nodded to Eric and Sookie. He paused when he saw Pam.

Sookie caught Alcide's attention and pulled him away for a moment before he said a word.

Gordy ran and jumped into Tony's arms. He started to tell Tony about all the cool stuff he did with his auntie and uncle.

Alcide watched the exchange with a grim smile on his face.

In as low a voice as she could produce, Sookie whispered to Alcide that she thought he should let Pam stay. Pam was a nice person. And right now, she was helping Tony to keep it together. Alcide didn't look disgusted but did look surprised.

Alcide nodded his acceptance of Pam, and then greeted Tony with a significant look followed by a familial hug.

The trial was about to start.

Sookie was alarmed. "What about Gordy?"

"Sookie darling," Eric tried to calm her "he is a pack member and the decision tonight will affect him."

"But he's only four years old!"

"That is unfortunate." He softly kissed her forehead.

Tony remained silent. The whole situation sucked.

Gordy tugged on his dad's shirt. "Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is mommy in time-out?"

That almost made him laugh. "Mommy did some very bad things. We have to make sure she doesn't do them again."

"Is she in trouble because of the baby?"

Everyone nearby immediately quieted. A wave of quiet rippled through the field until only Gordy and his father were talking.

"Baby?" _Oh god, what did Gordon know?_ _What did he see?_

"Mommy brought a baby home. It cried a lot."

He swallowed. "What did Mommy do?"

"Nothing. She didn't want it." He looked up at his father, looking guilty. "I gave her some milk when mommy wasn't looking."

Tears came to the surface of his eyes. "That was very kind of you. Son, do you know where she is?"

He shook his head. "Was she a baby vampire?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Mommy. She said vampires love babies."

"No. She was not a baby vampire."

"Is Mommy in a lot of trouble?"

Tony nodded and drew his son close.

The trial was starting. The pack stood in large circle. In the middle of the circle, drawn on the terrain, was a Wiccan symbol inside a circle.

A section of the standing observers parted for Sandra and her escorts. One escort was directly in front of her, one on each side of her and two behind. They paused before reaching the Wiccan symbol.

Sandra grew anxious, but the guards would not budge.

No one in the circle saw the pack master. _Where was Alcide?_

A moment passed as onlookers watched Sandra and her guards as her anxiety built.

A crashing sound from outside the circle caused some of the observers to turn away. That sound was followed by a curious howl.

Sandra and her entourage moved to the Wiccan symbol and stopped when she was standing on it. She was outraged. "What is the meaning of this? Magic? How dare you?!"

She continued screaming as the crowd parted to admit the pack master. Two cloaked figures walked near him. He walked into the circle and stared down Sandra. "How dare _you_?"

The cloaked figures dropped their hoods. Sandra's face fell.

Witches Louis and Octavia stood before her. Sandra had just tried a spell on Alcide, and these two witches stopped it from happening. Sandra began to panic.

The trial began. Alcide recounted her troubled history with the pack, including some of her past sentences. He next enumerated her known crimes of just the past few days. Sandra nearly started a war, she made multiple attempts on the life of a Friend of the pack, she destroyed property, set wheels into motion that may still lead to a vampire civil-war, she used spells to carry out her misdeeds... the worst crime she committed was the killing of a human baby. She had drained so much blood from the child, it could not have survived. He then looked at her, his face filled with rage. "Does her family even know she's dead?"

Sandra growled, "They can fuck again and make another one." Any doubt as to Sandra's innocence was gone that instant.

The pack deliberated. All were saddened for Gordy, but Sandra could not be allowed to live. Keeping her alive would be too dangerous. The pack unanimously concluded that the pack should take her out. Ultimately, the decision lay with Alcide.

Alcide looked long and hard at his pack, his cousin Tony holding Gordy, and at Sandra. Sandra would be taken by way of the pack.

Tony said that while Sandra certainly deserved it, he couldn't be part of killing his son's mother.

Eric was welcome to join as he was Sookie's man. That brought a nasty smile to his lips. He stepped forward.

Sam made his way to Sookie. He walked with her to stand with Gordy, Tony and Pam.

The small group of five moved to the outskirts of the circle as others undressed.

In her panic, Sandra began to change to her wolf form. Her clothes stretched and tore.

Octavia and Louis joined Sookie's group.

Sookie and Gordy huddled with their supe friends.

Sandra-the-wolf snarled and snapped from her Wiccan holding place.

The wolves moved in on Sandra. Eric and Alcide got to her first as was their right by the law of the paw.

Her screams were deafening. She was not killed with one quick blow. Sandra was bit, clawed, gorged, torn, and stretched for a good minute before the screaming ended. It was relatively quick, but they didn't make it painless.

Eric held her severed head by it hair and called to Sookie. "I told you I'd have her head." He made an apologetic face, tossed the head and strode over to her. "You'll always be safe with me lover. Never forget it." She pulled him close and kissed him.

The group disbanded. Sookie and Eric went home. Gordon cried as Tony packed some items in his truck.

Pam looked at the boy. "Why do you cry?"

"I want my mommy."

"You're mama was a bad person. She's not coming back."

"I love my mommy. I want Mommy!"

"Hmm. I've loved some bad people too Gordy."

He sobbed. "Yeah?"

"Mm hmm."

Gordy hugged Pam. Pam was very uncomfortable.

"Aunt Pam?" Pam blinked. _This was different._

"Yes Pup?"

"I like you."

"You do?"

He nodded his head.

There was an awkward silence. Pam smiled uneasily sat Gordy, then addressed Tony. "I'll run home from here."

Gordy tugged on Pam's sleeve. She looked down at him.

"Do you have to leave too?"

Tony and Pam locked eyes. They shared a silent conversation.

Pam answered Gordy, "No. I do not."

That night Pam witnessed events that she hadn't seen when she was alive. A young boy readied himself for bed, and was tucked in by Daddy. Neither felt like reading a book tonight.

Gordy cried himself to sleep.

Tony and Pam were in Tony's Shreveport home. It was a new home by area standards; it had been built in the past decade. It was a large ranch with porches front and back. The back porch was screened in and much larger than the open porch in the front. The inside had every modern amenity. The furniture was modern too.

They sat on a cushiony couch, facing a blank television screen. Tony smiled grimly. "Thank you for tonight."

"Normally I'd say it was fun, but..." she let the sentence dangle.

"Yeah."

They quietly regarded each other.

She broke the silence. "We're still hearing news of Queen Levana's people coming after Sookie."

"Sandra... The bitch whose influence just doesn't die."

"Perhaps we should keep up appearances."

"I'm listening."

"If Queen Levana were to learn of a scandalous relationship, she would try to capitalize on it."

"It's not like it's a secret Pam. The whole of Bon Temps knows about the vampire and the wolf."

"Do they? Do they know that you are a werewolf?"

"Anyone that knows I'm Alcide Herveaux's cousin might."

"I doubt that any of them know shit about the Shreveport pack... But there are the panthers."

He grimaced, "they don't get out much."

"That might work. We could continue seeing each other in Bon Temps."

"Any spies would think that we chose Bon Temps so that my pack-mates and your nest-mates wouldn't find out... I'm up for it." He paused, "But I would need to tell Alcide. He would not tell anyone."

"I'll have to clear it with Eric. We'll probably have to tell Castro." She turned to Tony. "You should get some sleep."

They stood up. She gazed at him and smiled a bit. He was still feeling gloomy, but a smile tugged on his lips as he looked at her. "I'll call you after sunset."

She left and he went to bed.


	11. Life Goes On

(11) Life Goes On

The next day was very ordinary except with bouts of gloominess. Whenever there was a lull in activity and it grew quiet, Gordon would start to cry.

Tony took Gordon to a park where he swung in a seat and slid down a slide. They went to the library and picked out a book to read. The men went through the motions but there was no zest.

They ate a lunch that could have been cardboard for all the attention they gave while eating. Gordon drew some pictures and colored in some books.

The evening was just as mundane. With one bump. Pam called. Eric was on board and the King was impressed with how far they would go to help him. She had to work in Fangtasia for the next three nights, and had Sookie Duty for the following two.

The danger against Sookie wasn't gone. Only the bitch that instigated it was absent. He really had been in a fog. _Who was watching her during the day?_

Tony called his cousin and told him of the plan. Alcide said it was fine with him if Tony wanted to proceed and that Tony had the next few days off of work.

Alcide then told him that if the vampires wanted or needed backup should the Jersey vamps attack, the Shreveport pack would be there. It was the least the pack could do after a rogue member caused so much trouble. Sam, Alcide and Todd had scheduled shifts for guarding Sookie in the meantime.

Tony would pass the message along the next time he spoke to Pam.

* * *

The next three days were relatively uneventful. Some friends and relatives came over. The little ones played outside and the grownups talked inside.

Gordon seemed fine when he was engaged. Nap time and bedtime were a problem; he had nightmares when he slept.

When polite conversation waned, the men talked shop. Tony talked about what he'd learned while working with Pam. Having a waterproof basement would be great, but an intruder safe one even better if you're selling to the dead. Or, if the undead is coming for you. Thick protective walls would reduce cell phone abilities so something would need to be done about communication.

By the end of the third day of visiting with friends and family, the men had created a blueprint for their own brand of safe room.

The basement of the Bon Temps house would contain the first Herveaux Built safe room. The room would have to be built inside the house rather than outside and brought in. That was one of the challenges. Not everyone wanted a brand new home and old homes always had issues.

Materials would be gathered and stored under a tarp out back. Once enough material was available, the welders would get to work.

With talk of work, Tony was finally starting to feel normal.

He wished to see signs of Gordy feeling better too.

* * *

Pam's first Sookie Night finally arrived. Sookie had to work, so Pam was not on "active duty" while the waitress worked for her shifter boss.

She made an appearance at Merlotte's. The vampire was dating a wolf and the whole of Bon Temps could testify to that. _Well, maybe not to his being a wolf... but they knew that he was alive._

Tony arrived a few minutes after Pam. She wore a rosy colored track suit with white tennis shoes. He wore a red t-shirt, jeans and running shoes. They kissed "hello" and sat in Sookie's section.

He ate barbecue while she nursed a blood. They talked.

Gordy was at Alcide's for the night. Alcide loved kids and adored Gordy. _He also felt bad that the pack had to kill his mama._

Gordy and his father had spent much of the past few days together, with a steady stream of family and friends stopping in. They'd have a couple more days to spend together before a regular routine kicked in.

Tony wasn't sure how to help is son cope. Gordon wasn't cryin' so much no more except when he was alone. Gordy seemed to understand that Sandra wasn't comin' back, but he still wanted her to. He had awful nightmares and sometimes woke up shaking or screaming.

As the two were talking, Sookie dropped an order off at a table next to Pam and Tony's.

"My pup needs time to readjust and heal... But how much time?" He sighed. His eyes fixed on the table for a moment. "I'll talk to his grand-mère and grand-père about it. They've seen a lot in their long lives and always have some wisdom to share."

Sookie walked by and gave Tony a curious look.

Tony dismissed it, "On the plus side, I can't wait to see the first Herveaux Built safe room. It'll be built inside the Bon Temps Herveaux house. The blueprint is done already, now we can start with the building."

Pam narrowed her eyes, "I thought you said that you haven't returned to work yet."

"Well, no. I haven't.... when my buddies come over we always end up talkin' shop. I told them about some ideas I had after spending time with you all and next thing I knew we were drawing up a blueprint."

The Were took a few more bites of barbecue. "How are things on your side of life?"

"Peachy." She grinned. "I have off the next two nights."

"The problem is, um... gone?"

"No. Bubba is in town. He's real fond of Sookie."

"And _Eric _is okay with that?"

"You clearly have not met Bubba."

He looked at her in anticipation of an explanation. She ignored it. "Fangtasia's bartender is competent; Sookie hasn't 'gotten her' yet..." That sparked his interest. She grinned. "We have excellent bouncers in place, guard duty is on hold while Bubba is here... I rarely have so much free time."

Again, he looked at her in anticipation of more. Pam's eyes crinkled. "Our bartenders seem to have difficulty surviving after meeting Sookie. They fear her power."

He finished his meal and her the drink. Pam insisted on paying the bill. "I invited you, remember?" She gave him a peck on the lips.

They passed a panther couple as pair headed to the exit. Tony abruptly turned to Pam. "I feel like a run. Think you can catch me?"

"Honey, I can catch you before you move a paw."

"Sounds like a challenge."

The _lovebirds _beamed at one another and left the building.

The panther's eyes were wide with astonishment.

They found a wooded area and ran for hours before returning to the house.

Dawn was near, Pam had to go. They kissed "goodbye" and she left for her day place. _Was she going back to Compton's?_

* * *

Tony woke up several hours later and drove to an aquarium.

Uncle Alcide, Tony and Gordy spent a day at the park together. Gordy liked the petting area; he pet a sting ray and picked up a star fish. The shows fascinated him. The boy really loved the sprinklers, but how come he couldn't get wet by jumping in with the dolphins?

The three ate lunch at the aquarium before separating. When Gordy was finished with his food, he went to the play area while the grown-ups watched.

Alcide said he wanted more time with Gordy.

Tony looked at his cousin, "You did what you had to do. If she'd lived, who knows what would have followed."

Alcide's face softened a bit. "You have been worried about Gordy since that night. Rightfully so..."

Tony tilted his head, Alcide pushed on. "He's seeing a psychologist. Her name is Dr. Mary-Jo McKewen."

Tony bit his lip. "I wish you'd told me first..."

Alcide swallowed, "I've been dating Mary-Jo for a couple of months now. After the trial, I shared with her my concern for Gordy. She's not seeing him officially. She's doing it for me and her new pack."

Tony wanted to be angry with his cousin, but he wasn't. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. "Thank you."

After lunch, Tony returned to Bon Temps alone. Gordy went home with Alcide.

A couple of hours after dark, Pam called.

Pam was watching Sookie tonight because Bubba's plans had changed and he had to be somewhere else. She would escort Sookie home and stay the night. He was welcome to join her for dinner at Merlotte's.

* * *

There were plenty of open tables. The two arrived at the tail end of normal eating hours. He wore a white button down shirt, a new pair of dark blue jeans and dress boots. She wore a blue and black plaid dress with black pumps. As usual, they sat in Sookie's section.

He ate meatloaf, she drank a blood.

Pam asked about the Pup. Tony related that Alcide wanted to spend some time with his little cousin. She suspected there was more, but kept quiet.

Sookie brought the check to the table just as Tony inhaled. His nostrils flared a bit. Sookie left to tend to another table.

Pam smiled, "She smells good, doesn't she?"

He smirked, "Too bad for Eric."

She furrowed her brows.

"What _living_ woman do you know is willing to have sex while she's bleeding?"

Pam clearly did not understand.

"Living women think it's too messy or dirty."

"Those women haven't lived" She laughed, then added. "I've read that it can be quite helpful for women with painful symptoms."

"All the same. It's probably a good thing Eric's in Shreveport tonight."

"You don't think Sookie would fuck her man? She's not as squeamish as most people I know. And Eric is very... good."

"Do you even remember what it was like to have a pulse? I guarantee sex is the last thing she's wanting."

"If Eric wants her, he'll have her. He does not care where she is in her cycle."

"It's not what Eric wants, Pam. It's what she wants and she's not a Were."

"If they don't have sex while she's bleeding, I'll fly you to Maine and buy you a lobster dinner."

"There's no way you'll win that." She raised a brow. "Alright, if they do, then I'll buy you a bottle of that insanely priced Blue Blood."

"I can't wait to sink my fangs into it."

"No cheating. If you goad him, that doesn't count... What the hell are we doing? This is wrong, betting on this..."

"Oh, don't get your fur all riled up. It's just a bit of fun."

Pam paid the bill.

Merlotte's closed. Pam and Tony waited for Sookie.

As they rode back to her house, Sookie asked about Gordy. Tony gave her the highlights; he was having awful nightmares, sometimes cried himself to sleep, they'd had lots of friends and family over, he'd had some quality time with Daddy lately and was getting some help from a pack member.

Sookie wanted him to know that she thought about him and wished him the best and...

She had his attention. "What Sookie?"

"Well, mmm, yesterday... uh..."

"You heard something that I said to Pam and want to ask me about it?"

Sookie relaxed a bit. He looked at her waiting for the question. Suddenly she realized that he didn't know what it was that caught her attention. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was at the table next to ya'll..."

Pam interrupted, "your question, Sookie?"

"Right. I heard you mention a grand-père and a grand-mère; and that Alcide is your cousin?" She was confused. Alcide must have shared some of his family history.

Tony exhaled and smiled. "Alcide and I grew up together. Our fathers were like brothers, best friends. We've always called each other _cousin_. Our last names' being the same is largely coincidence. Our kind used to move around a lot and assume new names."

The telepath kept her eyes on him. She believed he was telling the truth. She also expected more.

He realized that she knew there was more. Tony thought about holding back. With a human he would have. _These two ladies knew a thing or two about supernatural creatures._ He chuckled softly to himself. "My father could not sire the pups that he and my mother both wanted. Uncle Jackson was his surrogate."

Pam was not fazed. Sookie took a moment. "Alcide is your brother?"

"Biologically, through his father, yes."

The conversation ended when the car parked near the back porch of Sookie's home.

The house looked normal when they arrived. Only Tony and Pam could smell the presence of vampires. Tony put his hand on Sookie's shoulder and Pam put her arm in front, both silently telling Sookie to stay where she was.

The wolf and the vampire knew that vampires were nearby, but they were well hidden. Tony got out first. The area immediately surrounding the car was okay. Pam got out and came to Sookie's door. There was still no visible sign of any visitors. Pam opened the door, and Sookie got out. The three moved, with Sookie in the middle, to her house.

They made it up the steps without incident.

Sookie took out her house key as they neared the door.

A large vampire advanced with speed toward the house. As he neared, two others joined.

Suddenly, the assailants were all knocked on their asses. Somebody didn't check that the charms included the porches too. _Ha!_

Sookie went inside, while Tony and Pam went into fighting mode.

His clothes shredded as his body changed. Pam's fangs snicked out.

Pam ran at a line-backer type vamp holding a stake. She staked him with his own weapon before he had time to worry about her coming. Pam went after another beefy vamp.

Tony leaped on another football player type vamp and tore open his throat. As he worked on the throat, Tony saw a petite brunette advance on Pam with a sword as Pam dealt with the "beefy" guy. He let go of his own vamp and raced for the petite brunette.

Pam made her second kill as the brunette swung at her from behind. Pam was hurt, but she was still among the moving thanks to the wolf. Tony had a new throat in his mouth. Petite tried to work her hands back over to the dropped sword. Pam grabbed the sword. Tony released Petite's throat and Pam swung the sword on the opponent's neck.

They readied for another strike. The vamp that Tony had first leapt on was beginning to move again. The whole in the neck had started to heal. The wolf jumped on him again, bit the neck and ripped until the head came off.

Their bodies were tense with anticipation. No more attacks came. Finally, Pam staggered back to the porch. Tony went to each body and sniffed. None of the scents were familiar and all were definitely dead.

The wolf bounded up the back porch and changed into a human. He looked at Pam's sliced back.

Pam smiled a painful smile. "At least there was no silver in the hilt." _She could not have held it if it had._

"How long before you're back in fighting form?"

"Not sure. It'll be longer than normal. There is a trace of silver in the blade, the bitch got me good."

Sookie came out onto the porch and handed Pam a blood. She looked at Tony and Pam. Sookie turned her back to the woods, making movements with her eyes. Sookie was saying that someone was still out there. "I better go back in. I called Eric to tell him what was going on; he said he'd have to call me back _real soon_." Sookie went inside.

Pam took a sip of her synthetic blood. Tony watched, "That help?"

"Not much. When it comes to healing wounds, nothing works as well or as quickly as the real stuff."

"We don't know how many more might be on their way" He sat next to her. "You should feed now, just in case."

She looked at him as he offered his arm to her. He took a breath and encouraged her to bite.

A short time later she licked his arm. Her back was healed. "Thank you." She thought for a moment. "You know, that might not have been the best move for you." He looked at her quizzically. "If I feed on you, it takes away some of your strength. Now you have to recoup."

"A couple of holes and a small bit of blood isn't much compared to the gash that you had... Besides, it's easier for a vamp to wield a weapon than it is for a wolf."

She kissed him; the kind of kiss that promises more to come. She would be back in a couple of minutes.

She went inside the house. Another door opened somewhere in the house. _Maybe a closet or the pantry._

There was movement in the woods. Tony went on alert. A few trees swayed as if hit by a car. He started toward the trees. Silence.

Tony smelled three vampire scents. Pam, Eric, and someone else.

Eric and Pam emerged. They had ambushed a scout.

The original plan was to question him, but that didn't work out.

Of the vampires carrying identification, all had New Jersey driver's licenses. The last one to be killed, Gary from Ocean City had sent a text message: _E's 2nd has trnd? ~wolf._

Pam explained, "Queen Levana has what some vampires refer to as domesticated or trained werewolves. She raises them, acts as their pack master. They obey her. Gary from Ocean City, New Jersey thought you might be my domesticated wolf."

Eric sniffed and his eyes widened. "I have not heard of her feeding on wolves. As she has no real affection for them, it's doubtful she would."

Tony's face was disbelieving.

Pam regarded Tony. "Some vamps will drain people dry because they're hungry and see them as nothing more than a meal but ..."

Eric continued. "But most vampires feed from someone they care about and trust, especially now days." He looked at his "daughter" then at Tony. "The night is late. If any more vampires are coming they'll get here tomorrow. I am staying with my wife tonight. You can go Pam. Thank you, Tony." He nodded and Tony nodded back.

Eric went inside. He probably kissed Sookie and started getting frisky, given the sounds that they made. She was happy he came to Bon Temps, but only felt like snuggling.

Tony couldn't help but smile at Pam. They had both heard the exchange.

Pam and Tony left Stackhouse Property in Pam's car. She drove to the Herveaux construction house.

*************************

He got out and led her inside. They were still feeling the effects of the fight earlier in the night. Not more than a minute after the door shut, their hands were all over one another.

Pam's dress came off faster than the blink of an eye. She caressed his chest, played with his nipples.

He unhooked her bra and released her breasts, cupped them, kissed each one.

They fondled and kissed their way to the bedroom.

Pam pushed him onto the bed. She knelt in front of him.

She kissed his belly button and worked her way partially down as she rubbed his thighs. She licked each inner thigh. Pam teased his lower region without touching the star of the show. After what seemed like an eternity, she took him in her mouth. She released him after he had his release. He was in a state of bliss; she seemed to like it too. Her fangs had popped out at some point.

A short time later, he looked at her and spoke. "That wasn't right."

"What?" She said as an eyebrow rose.

"The woman should go first."

"I did go first. I did what I wanted, first."

"Yeah. Yeah you did. Now it's my turn." He pounced on her.

Tony kissed her all over, taking his time with each breast. Pam squirmed when he licked the underside of the breast, so he went back for seconds and thirds. He kissed, nipped and licked his way down. After much teasing his mouth was at her opening. He found spots that made her gasp and jerk. She wanted him to stop, to put himself inside her. He stopped _after _she had her release.

Tony crawled up to lay next to her. She wagged her brows at him. He was ready for more too. Pam positioned herself on him. He slid into her. His warmth radiated inside her. The sensation spurred her. Her movements spurred him. Their private marathon continued.


	12. Too Grimm

(12) Too Grimm

The doorbell rang. Tony got up, grabbed his jeans and headed for the door. It was daylight.

Materials were being delivered for the safe house. He read the list of items and checked them off as they were placed in the back.

He called Alcide's home phone number. His call was forwarded to his cell. Alcide was in a YMCA, watching Gordon swim. Tony heard his boy talking to someone. Hearing his son's voice made him feel good even if they didn't talk.

Since his son was with Alcide and he was technically off from both jobs, Tony had time to do what he pleased.

He found himself at the computer typing the words "Queen Levana, New Jersey." Every manner of information came up; news on the state's latest beauty queen, information on New Jersey tourism, many sites featured drag queens, there was an article about a beauty queen being blackmailed, the was a link to a banquet hall named "River Queen," yet another link went to a site about queen size foam mattresses, he could get the address of every Dairy Queen in the state... There were so many "results" he would never find the site he was looking for.

Adding the word "vampire" to the search expanded the seemingly infinite useless-list exponentially.

He called Merlotte's. Sam answered. Tony asked if Sam knew the web address for the Queen's website. Sam went into his office to look it up and gave Tony the address.

Sam let Tony know that Sandra's New Jersey Fellowship congregation was looking for her. Members of the Queen's nest were starting to look too.

Thanks to Sam's shifter friends, the Fellowship of the Sun knew that Sandra was a werewolf. They knew that she worked for a vampire. _Officially_, they were afraid for her because they hadn't seen hide nor hair from her in days. _Unofficially_, they were pissed off and intended to capture her and force her to tell them what she was up to before they killed her.

The same was not true for the New Jersey vampires. Sandra had been captured and killed before Victor Madden put his rumor into play. The Queen still believed Sandra to be a good little minion. But it had been days since Sandra last checked in with the Yankee nest. Someone would be coming to investigate. Strike that. _Someones _had already come. Even more were likely to follow.

Tony hung up the phone and typed the Queen's web address in the URL box.

Her Home Page was welcoming. The queen was a philanthropist, giving to many different causes. She attended several social functions, and there were many pictures accompanying the chronicles. Every photo contained five or more people. At least three were female. It was not possible to tell from these pictures which person was the queen and which people were part of her entourage.

He looked closely at the photos. Tony wanted to be able to recognize as many Jersey vamps as he could. Gary was in one picture wearing a tux. He stood amongst two other pale men and a throng of women in evening gowns. At least four of the women were pale. "Beefy" was in a picture at an outdoor evening event; there were fireworks in the background.

Sandra was in several daytime photos. One picture appeared to be taken at a cookout. The other beings in the day pictures might be some of the queen's Weres, but he'd need to meet them to know for sure. Some people in the photos wore the biker regalia that many Weres were fond of, but some humans wore that stuff too. Some Weres didn't like the biker look at all. Proximity was the only sure answer.

Sandra was in many of the nighttime photos with groups of pale women too. In fact, she was in several evening photos. No one had their fangs showing; you would assume that all pale skinned beings were fangers. He scrutinized each face.

He clicked on a tab, "events." A calendar popped up with a list of upcoming events. Clicking on the title, gave the reader more information. The events listed were benign; a charity auction for the battered women's shelter, a movie premiere, the opening of a new section at the zoo, etc. Nothing stuck out.

Tony closed the page and checked the business email before turning off the computer.

It was near lunch time. Tony was sick of eating at Merlotte's so he went to the store to buy some food. He picked up chicken, pasta, vine-ripe tomatoes, fresh Parmesan cheese, and salad fixin's. The wolf was in the mood for Chicken Parmesan. He walked through the refrigerated isle and saw that they had blood for sale. He picked up a four pack.

There was a display of Disney brand coloring books near the registers. Gordon loved _Cars_. Daddy picked one out.

Tony made it up to the register and put his purchases on the conveyor belt. The woman in front of him, smiled when she saw the coloring book he'd picked out for his son. The lady turned to pay her bill and was joined by a friend. The friend gasped. The woman turned to see what had caught her friend's attention. The man in line was buying blood! The two ladies quietly tssked and whispered to one another about his terrible fate. _The Bon Temps gossip mill would be in full force in under five minutes._

He went back to the house and proceeded to make a tomato sauce and fry the chicken. Half of what he made went into the freezer for a future meal. The rest would go into the oven after returning from Sookie's.

Tony opened the door. Todd was approaching. Tony was alarmed. "Where's Sookie?"

Todd waved his hand to indicate that all was fine. "Lizbeth, a panther, came for her. Sookie has something on this afternoon over at Hotshot."

"Oh... I was headed there to tell you there's plenty of food here. Just made some Chicken Parmesan."

Todd's face lit up. "Homemade sauce?"

"Like I'd make it any other way." He tilted his head in thought as he went back into the kitchen to heat the Parmesan. "Does Sam know about her plans?"

"I don't know. Not unless she told him."

They looked at each other, silently deciding that she likely hadn't told Sam. Sookie didn't like reporting her life's movements to no one.

Tony called Sam. Sam hadn't known and thanked Tony for the information.

When the dish was fully heated, Todd pulled it out of the oven.

The two buddies ate the fabulous meal and talked about friends, family and work. Neither of them knew where Tray's girlfriend Amelia went off to after his death. They thought Sookie knew where she was. Maybe she was asked not to say anything. Gordon was with Uncle Alcide, they'd talk later tonight. Todd had noticed the materials in the back yard, so Tony told him what had come in and they rehashed their plans to create a basement safe room.

After the late lunch Todd went to the rest room and came back with a curious look on his face. "You have vamp scent all over. She even left a toothbrush here. That surely pissed off Sandy. Why's it still here?" He made his way to the ice-box to pour himself some tea. He paused with the door open, staring at the contents. "Blood?" These were obviously new bottles. He looked up at his friend. "Jesus Tony. You're the last person I'd have thought would go with a vamp. Hope ya know what you're doin'."

A few hours after Todd left, Tony sat in the living room watching the news when Pam knocked on the door. She came inside. He offered her a blood then they watched the news together.

His phone rang. The caller ID said it was Alcide.

Mary-Jo was calling from Alcide's home. She assured Tony that time would prove to be the best healer for Gordy. As much as Uncle Alcide liked spending time with him, the full moon was near and Gordy shouldn't be with the pack. His nightmares featured the pack attacking him like they did his mama. Gordy hadn't spent much time with wolves in wolf form except for his mother and father. _The first time he was in a large group, the group killed his mother. _ Alcide had offered to take Gordy wolf-back riding earlier in the day, but Gordon refused. Mary-Jo thought that Tony should take him for a wolf back ride or two and then have Alcide join, and work from there.

Gordon seemed to be fond of someone in his Daddy's life. Pam. If Pam didn't mind, maybe she could spend time with Gordy. She wouldn't have to do anything. Sometimes people needed to say something just for the sake of saying it. She had a feeling that he might do this with Pam.

Pam overheard the conversation and her brows rose a little at the mention of her spending time with Gordy.

Mary-Jo told Tony that Alcide wanted to talk to him. Tony waited a moment for Alcide to pick up the phone.

While Pam sat on the couch, she spied a booklet with the drawing of a red sports car on the cover. She opened it. There were one or two lines of text on the bottom of each page and a large, colorless illustration filling up most of the space. The front cover said that it was a coloring book. She flipped through it with some amusement.

Alcide asked Tony about re-joining the work force. They set up a new schedule. Whenever Tony was on Sookie Duty, the pack would watch Gordy. If he was at his legally recognized and paid line of work, Tony would have to arrange for child care himself. It was common for pack members to care for its' members pups when the members were working, but at the moment Tony was based in Bon Temps so that arrangement was not very convenient. Since protecting Sookie was a pack matter, Alcide would see to it that the pack helped out when Tony was scheduled to watch her.

Gordy took over the phone and talked with his daddy. Auntie Mary-Jo was real nice. She'd gone with him and Uncle Alcide to the Y. The water in the pool had a funny smell to it. It wasn't like the places he was used to swimming. Your feet didn't get muddy when you came out, there was a nice neat place to put your clothes, you had to wear clothes, and there were two long bouncy boards at the end of the pool. One board was really high up. He watched a boy use the lower board to dive into the pool. Nobody climbed up the higher board. Maybe Daddy could teach him? Uncle Alcide and Auntie Mary-Jo said that he was a real good swimmer.

Gordy finished telling his daddy about his day and the two said "good night." Tony offered verbal hugs and kisses. Gordy made a Kissing sound right back. They hung up.

Pam was still looking at the coloring book. "It's a children's book. Kids like to color in the pictures."

She rubbed one of the pages between her fingers. "Paint must be very different these days."

Tony smiled. He went into a room with a few of Gordon's things. When he returned, he had a box of crayons and a piece of paper. "This is what children color with nowadays. You can't spill it, and it doesn't make the paper all wet. 'Course you could also use colored pencils or colored pens, but children love crayons."

He showed her that it worked like a writing instrument. To fill in a space, you had to scribble back and forth many times. Pam was interested. Children color in others' pictures? Do they not draw their own?

Pam thought that the story was interesting too. Well, not so much they story as perhaps the characters. This story featured talking cars. None of the children's stories in her day featured talking horse carriages. That would have been too bizarre.

Tony said that not all children's stories had modern technology that talked. Some of the old fairy tales were huge hits with the children. The Little Mermaid, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, and Cinderella were just some of the most famous stories known to children.

Pam was... shocked? Surely these weren't the same stories she had heard of.

Back in the early eighteen hundreds, while traveling through Germany, she had met two linguists. The two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, were traveling Europe gathering stories. Their storytelling skills saved their lives.

Eric, Pam, Jacob and Wilhelm were all headed in the same general direction and traveled together for a few days. Eric glamoured one and fed a bit, Pam did the same. He only took blood once during their trek. But Pam was much younger and wanted more than she could get without killing the man. She thought about killing one or both of them, but neither she nor Eric knew how long it would be before they had made their way to a populated area again. If she gorged then and there, she might have to starve or feed on animals for an unknown period of time.

They traveled in a coach. The horses needed to feed and rest and the group needed to eat. Well, the brothers ate, and as far as they remembered the "couple" did too. Pam was feeling very hungry though she'd recently glamoured Wilhelm and taken some blood from him. She'd taken from Jacob the previous night. Pam had never killed a mortal out of sheer hunger and she was thinking that it might just happen. _Eric told her that she could have taken more blood from an individual, but Pam feared taking too much and ended up making herself hungrier than necessary. Now that they were traveling, she had only two humans to dine on._

She compelled the brothers to tell a story. They did and Pam was enthralled. Each of the three nights they spent together was a story-telling night. Her knowledge of German wasn't very good back then, but Eric translated. He seemed to enjoy the stories too. The Grimm Brothers told some pretty grim yet fascinating tales.

Their stories were not for children. Cinderella was among the most benign; a severed toe, a maimed heel, and eyes pecked out by birds were the worst in that story. Most other stories weren't so nice.

"The Brother's Grimm?" He was in a curious, happy state of shock.

"Mmm." She responded.

"Their stuff is wildly popular. A lot of it has been altered to suit children... There is a movie… for grown-ups, called _The Brothers Grimm._ But I think the brothers are supposed to be traveling salesmen or something."

"So you haven't seen it?"

"No. You want to?"

"Could be interesting."

Tony picked up the TV remote and started picking through the OnDemand channels. "Just remember, I haven't seen this either so if it turns out to be racist shit... all magical creatures are evil kinda thing, which it probably is... most movies with supernatural creatures make all of us out to be bad.."

Pam interrupted, "Just play the damned movie."

He pressed play and they snuggled on the couch to watch the movie.

The movie was good enough. The writers had clearly never met either of the Grimm Brother's. They were completely different in life.

Pam proceeded to tell just how different they were. They didn't sound at all like the type of people Pam would want to spend time with.

Pam's cell rang. Eric wanted her to stay in Bon Temps for the next few days. He'd be in the area too, so she'd need to stay at Compton's. Pam pressed her lips into a hard, thin line. She hung up. He looked at her expectantly. "Bill Compton is not my favorite person. I'm sure he feels the same about me."

"The basement here light-tight... we can't start on the new construction just yet."

She got up and leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you for the offer." Pam was not about to day sleep in a pack master's home with god-only-knows how many wolves passing through. "Speaking of light, I better get moving."

The two got up together and headed out the door. He walked with her to the car. Tony wouldn't meet Pam at Sookie's, his shift would start late in the morning. He'd work just a few hours later today and then he'd go get his boy. He'd take over the morning shift on the following day.

So Pam would seem him again, with his pup, tomorrow. _Something to look forward to._

Tony wrapped his arms around her. She allowed him to draw her in. He hugged her with his entire body and kissed her, she reciprocated.

Then her face was one of shock and agony.

It seemed like forever before Tony figured it out, but it was only a second before he realized what had happened.

A wooden arrow stuck out of Pam's back.


	13. Evil Demons

(13) Evil Demons

Another arrow zipped through the air, missing both parties. Tony quickly pulled Pam around the car, so that the car was between her and the assailant. The arrow was too low to hit her heart. He pulled the arrow out and she screamed.

Whoever shot those arrows at Pam was drawing near. A thin, medium height man with a crew cut approached. He carried a quiver of arrows on his back and a bow in his hands. Two other men, also sporting crew cuts followed close behind. The thin man handed the bow to the man on his left. Then he told Tony that everything was going to be alright so long as that vampire was sent to her final grave. The man pulled out a wooden stake and began to recite a bible verse.

Tony was livid. He grabbed the stake and yanked it from the man. Next, he shoved the man at Pam. "Food delivery," he said to her. She held onto him and bit. The Follower on the right dropped the bow, pulled out a gun, and shot at Tony. He missed. Tony lunged at the guy and there was a struggle with the gun. It discharged, another attacker was dead. The third was starting to run. Even in his human form, Tony was faster than most mortals. He caught up to the man and knocked him out cold.

The unconscious man was dragged into the house, to be tied up and locked up in a room.

The sky was lighter; Pam would not make it to Bill Compton's before dawn. She was already drowsy with sleep. Maybe it was made worse by her being injured so close to sun-up. Tony put an arm under her legs and one around her back. As he bent down, Tony got a better look at the arrow. It had a silver tip. This was the second time in as many days that Pam had silver poisoning. He lifted her and took her into the basement.

_Now what?_ Should he even try to cover it up? Doing so would make it look like he was guilty of something, if he were caught. All he really did was protect his girl and himself. No law against that.

Who would honestly believe that a werewolf and a vampire could be in danger from a human? No, there was a chance that human law would not be the best option. He'd have to call and wake-up Alcide. Tony needed direction ASAP; he had bodies in his front yard and bodies are very easy to see in daylight.

Alcide picked up on the second ring.

Every indication was that all three were FotS members: Their FotS shirts claiming them to be Soldiers of the Sun, their Fellowship identification cards, and their attempt at killing a vampire while reciting scripture were all good indicators.

The law enforcement groups didn't particularly like the Fellowship of the Sun or its' members. They seemed to cause more trouble than the "evil demons" that they wanted save the world from.

Alcide said that he ought to call the Bon Temps police and let them do their thing. The more evidence that humans had against the human organization, the better. Some human organizations were looking for ways to shut the so-called church down for good. The humans wouldn't want to side with the non-humans, but they weren't stupid. Siding with the FotS was suicidal for their careers.

Alcide would alert Todd and Sam that Tony would not make it to Sookie Duty today. The police should be done with Tony and the Herveaux house in time for Tony to come pick up his son. The wolves hung up.

Tony called the police.

Less than five minutes later, three police cars screeched into the area with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Geez, it's not like the place was ablaze. The dead people were dead, getting here any faster wasn't going to make a difference.

The officers drew their guns, told Tony to keep his hands where they could be seen and did a search of the area. Tony told them that a third was inside the house, locked in a bathroom. Yes, he was still alive.

Sheriff Dearborn wanted the basement opened, to take a look. The house was a crime scene. Tony said that he'd have to call his boss. Only Alcide had the key. Sheriff Dearborn waited intently for Tony to call his cousin.

Cell phone in hand, Tony told his boss what was wanted. Alcide said he'd not be able to come in until close to seven. It would be full dark by then. Surely Alcide realized why Tony was pretending not to have a key.

The sheriff wasn't too happy. He told Bellefleur that he was half thinking that he'd just have the door rammed open. Bud Dearborn did not want to wait, but something kept him from doing what he wanted. _Maybe, on some level, he sensed the danger surrounding him. Most humans sensed some level of danger when they were near a supe; they just never knew what to attribute it to._

Detective Bellefleur and Sheriff Dearborn took Tony Herveaux's statement. They wanted to know who and where the intended victim was. Pam? Was that Sookie's blond vampire friend? The one that Tony had been spending so much time with? Yes, it was. Pam was asleep for the day and Tony couldn't tell them where that was. The duo would have to wait for her to wake and come to them.

Sheriff Dearborn looked skeptical. "You don't know where your dead girlfriend sleeps?"

"If I don't know, I can't tell you. Vampires are... all about safety."

Detective Bellefleur nodded. "You just tell her that we need a statement."

"No problem."

Several minutes later, the living attacker was taken to a squad car. He was reciting bible verses. When he saw Tony, he started yelling. "He ain't human, he ain't no fanger neither, but he's some kinda evil demon. That thing is wicked strong and faster than a human ought to be. No sir, that there ain't no human..." The car door opened and he sat inside, continuing his rant against Tony.

The squad car left. Detective Bellefleur walked up to Tony and looked to make sure no one else was in earshot. "Is that true?"

"That I'm an evil demon? Hardly." The detective wanted to press Tony, but was afraid to. He had an awkward expression. "I'm a werewolf. I did not change during this attack, so it should have no bearing on this incident."

"Uh, If you don't mind my asking, sir... Why didn't you change?"

"Pam had an arrow sticking out of her. I would not have been able to pull it out with paws." _Nor could he have carried her into the basement, or tied up the third guy._

"I see. You're right. Doesn't seem to have any bearing here." The detective was indicating that he had no intention of mentioning Tony's second nature to anyone.

Most of the police left the area.

Officers Kenya and Kevin were posted at the house. They were to keep an eye on things until Mr. Herveaux made an appearance.

Tony wasn't about to leave the house, so he occupied himself with construction work. He went through the business email, sent out work orders, booked appointments with potential customers, and reevaluated blueprints.

After lunch, Tony went behind the house and called Sookie. There was no answer. He tried Merlotte's. Claire answered the phone.

Sookie was working the day shift today. Claire called Sookie over to the phone.

He gave Sookie an abbreviate version of what had happened. Sookie let out a sigh of relief. Something bothered Eric terribly right before he went to sleep. _It must be that he sensed Pam's fright and anger. _

Tony knew that vampires didn't like to advertise where they slept, he was trying to make sure no one found out where she was. The FedEx delivery guy was no problem, as he was human. The woman delivering construction equipment was a Were; he directed her around the house to the tarp in the back though the equipment being delivered should have gone inside the house.

Alcide would be stopping in around seven to let the police check out the room. Once Pam was awake, it shouldn't matter if someone knew where she had been sleeping. But Tony couldn't help but think that it did matter.

Sookie understood. Tony wanted Pam to feel safe with him. If ever that basement was known to be a place where she had slept, she would not be comfortable enough to do it again.

Eric was picking her up after work this evening. They could be there before Alcide had to open the basement. What reason should they have for coming over?

Dinner. Tony invited Pam's maker and his girl over for dinner. A nice brand of blood for the fanged, and penne à la vodka for the breathers.

A short time later, Todd came by. Tony intercepted him before he reached the house. Tony couldn't leave the house right now, because of the investigation and all. But he _really _would like to get some of that imported Bonnie Blood. Todd looked at his friend cross-eyed but agreed to go to the liquor store for the blood.

The sun was waning. Tony boiled some pasta and made a vodka sauce. The officers guarding the basement door seemed impressed with his culinary skills. He even made his own vinaigrette for the salad. The only thing he didn't make by scratch was the bread. No garlic bread tonight. They'd have buttermilk biscuits instead. All he had to do was open the can of dough and pop it in the oven when his guests came.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Sookie and Eric were here for a dinner party. Was Tony sure he still wanted guests over?

Tony assured them that the police wouldn't be there much longer. Alcide needed to open the basement for them to look around, and then they'd leave.

Sookie caught Kevin's attention for a moment while Eric glamoured Kenya. Next, Eric glamoured Kevin. Both were sent to the hallway to check out a strange sound. Tony unlocked the basement door and Pam came out. He re-locked the door.

Less than five minutes later, the door bell rang again. Sheriff Dearborn and Detective Bellefleur were at the door. Tony apologized to his guests, saying that they would have the evening to themselves shortly.

Dearborn and Bellefleur asked to speak with Pam. Pam gave them her account of the events.

Sheriff Dearborn said that when the reports were written up, Pam and Tony would need to read them to verify their accuracy and then sign and date them.

Alcide walked in the front door with Gordy. Gordy ran over to his daddy and gave him a bear hug. He hugged Pam too. Eric gave Pam a look that let her know she would be the target of many jokes to come. Gordon smiled at Sookie and said "hello". He glanced at Eric as he pushed himself between Tony and Pam.

Officers Pryor and Jones were asked to verify that no one had entered or exited the basement all day. Both testified that no one had. Alcide opened the door, Bellefleur and Dearborn entered. They came back up less than five minutes later; there was nothing in the basement.

Dearborn thought it odd that a basement was kept locked when not a thing was inside.

Alcide said that it used to be an office, but that they're about to renovate the space. It must have been locked out of habit.

The police left. Alcide did too; he had a dinner date with Mary-Jo.

Dinner needed little more preparation. Tony popped the biscuits in the oven, tossed the pasta with the sauce and put the salad on the table. He set some blood to heat in the microwave. Pam set two plates, and two sets of utensils on the table. Pam found the child's plate with the now familiar red car, and put that out for Gordy. There were matching utensils for his plate, so she put those out too. She poured tea for Sookie, took out a beer for Tony and placed the warmed bottles of blood on the table for Eric and herself.

Eric did not say a thing. Sookie's expression said volumes.

They ate, or drank, and talked.

There was a lot of hate in the world. No one believed that the latest attack was because of the werewolf/vampire relationship, nor that it had to do with Sandra in any way. It was a group of stupid, vampire-hating humans styling themselves to be a real life "Buffy" or some shit like that. As if any of them needed more threats.

At some point the topic of Pam and Eric spending time in Germany and meeting the Grimm Brothers came up. Sookie was very interested. She knew the kinder, gentler versions of the stories. She was fond of Cinderella when she was a girl. When she was older, another version of the story was made into a movie. Cinderella was no damsel in distress.

Gordy said that Cinderella was okay, but he'd never heard of a pumpkin turning into anything. And mice turned into horses! That wasn't right either. A shifter or a werehorse could do that, but not a mouse.

Pam told Gordy that the version she knew didn't have any pumpkins, or mice. Human children would get upset to hear the old version of the story, it was scary.

"Hey Gordy," He looked at his son, leaned in and lowered his voice "Pam has never seen someone color before."

Gordy's eyes went wide. "Really? Daddy, can I color? I wanna show Pam."

"Go on. Go get your crayons."

A minute later, Gordy came back to the dining room full of excitement. "I have a new book! Look!"

Tony smiled. "Glad you like it. You take that into the living room while we clean up in here."

"Okay." He turned to Sookie. "Do you want to color too?"

"Sure I do. I love to color. I'll help clean up first, and then I'll come color too."

Tony looked at them, "Don't worry about it. I can clean up."

Sookie got up, looked at Pam with a huge grin and said "let's go color."

Tony cleaned up. Eric chipped in, rinsing the plates and putting them in the dishwasher.

Gordy explained to the ladies how he chose his colors for the pictures. Pam needed to know that you're supposed to color inside the lines, 'cause if you didn't it wouldn't look very good.

A while later, Gordy was ready for bed. Tony read the book _Green Eggs and Ham_. Gordon picked it out back at the Shreveport house and brought it with him today. Daddy sang one verse of "Frere Jacques," tucked him in, and kissed him "good night."

Tony went back into the living room and sat next to Pam. They discussed Sookie Duty. Tony was back on duty starting tomorrow morning.

He asked his guests if any of them visited the queen's website. Tony had. He'd recognized a few faces. Granted, most were now dead. He'd bookmarked the page.

Eric was surprised that the queen had posted photos.

Tony said that although there were many photos, he didn't know if any of them had the queen.

The men went to the office to look at the website. Eric pointed to one of the pubescent looking pale girls. This one had black hair; her hair was in stark contrast to her skin. She was thin, but not super-model thin and she had a large chest. This was Queen Levana.

Eric recognized some of the other vampire faces. He said very little, with only one or two occasionally earning some sort of warning.

Eric asked Sookie to come in and take a look. Right away she recognized three people from the day pictures, in addition to Sandra. She remembered seeing two of them at the Piggly Wiggly, she didn't remember for sure where she saw the other one. The library, maybe? She had recognized them right away as Weres, but thought them to be Shreveport Weres. It was just like Alcide to do such a thing; hire guards without telling her. She glared at Eric; he too was known to do the same thing.

Pam entered the room holding her cell phone. "I just got a message from _must love wolves at N J wolves dot net_. He or she claims to know what I'm up to and demands an audience. I am to respond to this within the next thirty minutes, or digital photos will be sent to King Castro."

Eric's head jerked up. "What photos?"

"Evidently, photos taken by Gary. One shows Tony changing form, another shows him feeding me." Her tone was very matter-of-fact.

"Set-up the meeting. They will have done their homework; you might want to mention that I plan on Turning my wife when I am King."

Sookie tried to stay calm. "You will do no such thing."

"Of course not, lover. It's all part of the game." He smiled his deliciously wicked smile then softened into a sincere look of concern. "I do wish you would consider it."

_It was good to know that he wasn't forcing her to change._

Pam typed a response. "Done. Now we have to wait."

It was late. Tony turned off the computer. The group went to the living room and collected drink bottles to put in the recycling bin.

Eric helped Sookie into her jacket.

Pam's cell phone rang. She received a response to meet in Merlotte's at eight pm on Friday. Her mate was to come too.

Merlotte's would be crowded at that time and on that day. If you were going to meet in public, it was best to meet in a place that would be too loud for others to make out what was said.

Eric and Sookie went to the red corvette. Eric kissed Sookie as he opened the door for her and said how much he wanted her. It was late, and she was tired. She wouldn't feel like being with him for another day or so anyway. He let out a low, frustrated growl as he closed her door. The frustrated Viking Vampire got into his sports car and drove off.

Tony looked around and sniffed the air. "We tried this last night. It didn't go so well. I'll be damned if someone's gonna get you again."

They walked over to her car. She looked at her car and where she had last parked it. Pam was waiting to hear his explanation. "We had some deliveries today and your car was in the way. Also, the sheriff and the detective recognized your car... I told them that I had borrowed it because my truck needed fixin' and the motorcycle wasn't practical for what needed doin'. Lucky for me, your keys were accessible."

Pam leaned into him and kissed him. "Sookie says her woods are available tomorrow for wolf-back riding."

He kissed her back. "Thank you."

"You better get some sleep. I'll see you tonight."

Tony went inside after Pam's car left the driveway. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


	14. Relations

(14) Relations

It was dark as Tony ate scrambled eggs and country sausage. Gordon was still asleep. He brushed his teeth and took the empty duffel bag out of the closet.

A car parked in the driveway.

Tony opened the door and let his pack-mate Betty-Ann Cooper into the house. Betty-Ann would watch Gordy while Daddy was on guard duty.

The nineteen year old part-time college student had wavy brown hair, hazel eyes and an athletic build. She was short by Were standards, but average height for a human female.

She had watched Gordon before, but at his own house or in her own home. She'd never been to the Herveaux Construction house. Tony gave her a brief tour before leaving out the back door with his duffel bag.

He was within sight of the Stackhouse home a good fifteen minutes before dawn. Pam greeted him "good morning" before she took off for her daytime place.

There were no new scents in the area. All was calm and quiet, and boring. The hours passed slowly.

Late in the morning, he could hear sounds coming from the house. Sookie was awake. She ate breakfast, cleaned, and then all noise in the house vanished. Sookie wasn't walking around or making any sound that he could hear from his position. Tony started to worry and started running to the house.

He was half way to the house from the tree line when he heard movement inside.

Sookie opened the door. "What's wrong?"

He gave her a lopsided look. He was expecting _her _to tell him what was wrong.

"If I can touch you... your shoulder, or paw... I can hear what you're thinking. Otherwise, I just know what you're feeling."

He moved closer and she put her hand on his shoulder. "Oh. I wasn't making any noise because I was reading a book. It's something I'd normally do while sunbathing, but it's a bit cool for that."

_Oh. He didn't mean to overreact._

"We're all a bit edgy. Hopefully, someday soon, Eric will call off the baby sitter service." Tony rolled his eyes up at her. "I know he means well, but it still sucks."

_At least this will be temporary._ Sookie took some comfort in the thought.

Tony thought about Gordy. _Thank god he was a Were and lived in Shreveport. He couldn't imagine having to make arrangements for a baby sitter on a constant basis..._

Sookie's hand was still on his shoulder. She lifted it. "Speaking of Gordy, he's the main reason that Andy Bellefleur doesn't plan to let anyone know what you are." He looked at her and tilted his head. "I heard him thinking about it. If he outed you and something happened to your son, or he ended up an orphan because of it... he'd feel just awful. He takes his job of protecting people seriously, even if the people aren't his favorite."

Tony wasn't sure if she meant him or herself. He turned to go back down the steps when Sookie caught his attention, "I know your shift ends soon. Why don't you come back here for lunch and bring Gordy with you?"

That's exactly what they did.

After lunch, Sookie said that when she was little she loved piggy-back rides. Sometimes Eric gave her a piggy-back ride, but that was usually when they were someplace at night where she couldn't see very well. Then she whispered that sometimes she'd tell Eric that she couldn't see too well just so she could ride on his back.

Gordon laughed at that. He'd pretended to be tired so that he could get a ride. Gordon liked piggy-back rides but wolf-back rides were way more fun. He turned to his father, "Daddy, can we go for a wolf-back ride?"

He saw this coming from yards away. It made him happy to hear his boy ask, Gordy hadn't asked for one since before Sandra's trial. He used to ask every day.

As the three went out back, Tony reminded Gordy of the rules: He couldn't be close to Daddy when daddy changed. No poking Daddy in the eyes. No standing on Daddy's back. Daddy didn't come with a seat belt, so no amount of saying "faster" was going to make it happen. If a stranger (Were or otherwise) should approach, Gordy was to get off if Daddy lay down, but hold on super-tight if Daddy didn't.

Once the rules were reestablished, Tony stepped away from his son and out of sight from the human. He came back into view as his furry self.

Gordy climbed on and they went for a walk in the woods. Gordon was in seventh heaven. He said "Hello Sam," when they passed the collie. His boy would make an excellent tracker some day. Gordon was still way too young to transform, yet he could already pick up scents like a wolf.

They headed back to the house and Gordon stiffened. Todd was in the woods. He was there to relieve Sam. _That was a quick shift._

Todd saw Gordon's nervous reaction and stopped where he was. He lay on his back and wriggled on the ground. Gordon started giggling. He'd always liked watching that. He thought it was funny. Todd made a high pitched yip that made Gordy really laugh. "You're silly Uncle Todd."

Father and son returned to the house where Gordy climbed down from his father. The wolf disappeared and a moment later his human form appeared, fully dressed.

They thanked Sookie for her hospitality. Sookie ask Tony if something was wrong. She knew Sam had left already. Tony didn't know what prompted the change.

Just in case, he called Alcide before leaving Sookie and Todd.

Todd was sent over to relieve Sam so that Sam could deal with a problem that popped up at the bar. Some Fellowship members got it in them to harass Merlotte's patrons.

Tony relayed the information. "No big emergency, just some... _Fellowship _people at Merlotte's being... _mean _to the patrons there." He didn't curse very often. He tried not to at all around his son. It wasn't easy to do when you were talking about those fuckin' Fellowship assholes.

Evening came as Gordy watched a cartoon on TV. Pam came inside and kissed Tony. Gordy flew at her and gave her a hug.

Tony informed Pam that he had a message from Detective Bellefleur. He was needed to come down to read the type-written report of his account. Pam had received the same message.

The threesome headed for Merlotte's with a detour at the sheriff's station. Not much time was needed in the station.

The big wolf had a steak and the pup ate chicken nuggets. Both plates came with mashed potatoes, a biscuit and mixed vegetables. Pam had a blood.

Tony finished eating and went into the rest room. As he came out he heard Pam say to someone, "If you touch him I will break your hand." Tony stepped away from the door and saw a young woman standing by their table. Pam caught her eye, and the woman's expression changed. "Leave." She did.

Tony watched the woman as he returned to the booth. "What was that about?"

Pam was annoyed and slightly amused. "She was going to save your son from being my next meal."

"That was awfully brave of her to stand up to a vampire."

"And stupid."

"No doubt there."

Tony took the bill when it came to the table and paid it.

They went back to the house in her car.

* * *

Gordy got ready for bed and asked Pam if she could tell him a fairy tale. She did. She told him the story of the _Seven Ravens_. He had never heard of it before. A fairy tale where the girl saved a boy, that was new! _Actually, it was very very old._

Tony was in the master bath taking a shower, when Pam left the sleeping Gordon. She joined Tony in the shower.

There wasn't much room for two people. It was slippery and a few times the breather swallowed water or got sprayed in eye. This was not getting off to a very good start no matter how good either one of them looked with water tracing the curves of their bodies. They each lathered, soaped the back of the other and rinsed then got out. That shower was not conducive for much of anything.

Drying each other with the towel proved much more exciting; each taking time to thoroughly rub or caress every spot. Some spots earned a lick.

Eventually they made it over to the bed. They lay facing one another. He liked when she squirmed, so he spent time with her breasts. Tony licked, sucked and massaged her breasts. He spent the most time with her nipples and the underside of her breasts, which got a big reaction.

She directed his right hand to her opening, his fingers slid inside. The warmth of his fingers inside her spurred her to move more forcefully. She slid her body under his as he lifted to reposition himself. Pam grabbed him, the part of him she was longing for. He removed his fingers and she lined up their parts. He pushed in.

Tony locked eyes with Pam. He nodded to her, to tell her that she could do what she was longing to do. She bit his chest and sucked. Her hips moved wildly as she drank. The sensation it caused inside her made Tony feel like he was about to explode. He could hardly breathe.

Oh boy did he explode! That was when Pam stopped sucking. She licked the tiny wounds.

He lay next to Pam for a few minutes, totally incoherent.

After several minutes, Pam got up to pull the sheets up on the bed. She kissed Tony as she tucked him in and told him to sleep.

He slept like a baby.

The alarm clock sounded. Tony reached over to turn it off and his hand met Pam's. They turned it off. It was still dark.

Pam kissed him good morning. She kissed his ear, his cheek, his lips, his jaw, his throat, his collar bone... She was working her way down.

Tony worked at speaking. "Uh, no... I'd like to, but I gotta get up." Pam stroked him, his breathing quickened. "That's not what I mean."

"Here I thought the living liked quickies."

"We do. Very much. But Betty-Ann will be here any minute so I can go over to Sookie's." Pam was a bit disappointed. "Eric didn't need you on yard patrol?"

"I spent some of the night there. Bubba came back, so he's there now. He'll go to ground soon."

Pam told Tony Bubba's story as Tony got dressed and made breakfast. Tony wondered if Bubba ever went back to Graceland or knew about his daughter's brief marriage. _How aware was the King? Did he ever spy on his family? Or did remembering them make him go crazy?_

A car pulled into the driveway. Tony went to the door and greeted Betty-Ann.

Betty-Ann had smelled Pam's scent in the house, and had heard about Pam from Gordon. Now she met the vampire herself. Her body was stiff, alert. No matter how much Gordy liked her, or the fact that her scent was all over this home, the blond was a vampire. Betty-Ann had never heard anything good about any vampire. Few werewolves ever had.

Tony noted her tension and assured her that Pam was fine. She was His. Pam looked at him; he was hers too. His lady was a person that slept during the day was all.

He and Pam left the house to the relief of the baby sitter. Tony carried his duffel bag. Once inside the tree line he took off his clothes and put them in the bag. The bag would hang on a branch.

The two continued to Sookie's. Pam introduced Bubba to Tony and told Bubba that Tony was not for drinking.

Bubba said that Tony was bigger than what he liked to feed on. Besides, Bubba could smell Pam's scent on Tony. Bubba wouldn't harm no one that was good to that pretty lady. Speaking of pretty ladies, Sookie was inside sleeping. She'd come out earlier and talked with him some. She was mighty nice, that one.

The woods were quiet all night. Nothing but a few of Bubba's favorite snacks had scuttled into the area. The King left the woods. He headed toward Compton's place.

Pam left too. She and Tony had a dinner date for tonight.

The day proved to be boring, again.

He perked up when Sookie got a phone call from Amelia. He couldn't hear what Amy said, and he felt kinda bad eavesdropping, but at least he could tell from Sookie's side of the conversation that Amelia was fine. Physically at least. Amy had asked Sookie something, but Sookie wasn't sure she wanted to answer. Amelia had a way with words when she wanted something. Evidently she wanted to know how things were between Sookie and Eric.

Fine. Eric was a great husband, though he had his moments. For the last few days, he had made it clear that the really wanted to be intimate. He hadn't forced her or anything, but he tried real hard to get her in the mood. He just didn't get that she wouldn't be in the mood for a few days, once in a while... There might be some women that did that, but not her. If he'd ever been with someone while she... uh... he didn't tell the Sook. Sookie was fine with that. Could Amelia believe that he even helped clear a table of food dishes? Yeah, it was in that advice column that he and Pam read. It had said that helping in a kitchen sometimes heightened a woman's libido. Eric was disappointed that it didn't pay off.

Tony couldn't help but laugh. _They soooo did not understand that bit of advice!_

Pam? Pam was doing very well. She was going with a handsome wolf... They surprised a lot of people. They seemed to be good together, but Pam didn't know to act around Gordon. Gordon was the wolf's son. He likes Pam a lot... Tony Herveaux? Yes... Never did a vampire look more like a deer caught in the headlights than Pam did when Gordon hugged her... Nah, if Pam didn't want something she'd tell you. They both knew Pam well enough to know that.

Something was good to hear. Sookie told Amelia that she was missed and that people were asking about her. Tray's pack kept asking about Amelia and wanted to know that she was okay. They missed her.

Sookie hung up and Tony's day slowed down. Each hour felt like a day. His mind wandered.

Sex with Pam was great. He'd never before experienced anything like what happened last night. They brought each other to a climax the first time they were together. But he wondered if it could have been even better for her. She was wild last night. Though it felt like she was on the cusp but never quite reached the crest. _Why was this bothering him?_ He had never worried about this before. He had always been confident in his ability to drive a woman crazy like Pam did to him last night. Now he was questioning himself. There were some things that set her off. There must be more that he could do; something to make her delirious. Tony set that in his mind to be one of his missions. He wanted to make her deliriously happy.

Sam relieved Tony around noon.

The wolf worked his way back to the Herveaux house and changed when he got to his duffel.

Gordon and Betty-Ann played a game as Tony came home. Tony made lunch for the three of them while the two finished their game.

While they ate hamburgers Tony let Gordon know that they'd have a few hours together, but then Daddy and Pam had some business to do. Gordon would go over to play with Claire later.

After eating, Betty-Ann thanked Tony for lunch and helped to clean up. She asked if she could use the computer tomorrow when she came over. Betty-Ann had a paper due in a few days. She was hoping to finish editing it while Gordy napped. That was fine with him.

Betty-Ann left for home, Gordon went down for a nap, and Tony checked on the status of the building materials being collected.

He was mopping the kitchen when Gordy came out.

The two boys walked out the front door to let the kitchen floor dry, and tossed the pigskin. It was big for Gordy's hands, but Gordy liked it anyway.

Before the sun began to set, they switched to soccer. Gordy tried to get the ball past his daddy. It wasn't so hard. It was easy if he got Daddy to look somewhere else. Daddy showed him how to hit the ball with the side of his foot instead of with the part with his toes. Tricky. He'd try that with Uncle Alcide!

Pam arrived as the boys put the balls away. Tony and Pam kissed "hello". Gordy gave her a hug and proceeded to tell her about his day.

The group of three left the house to drop Gordy off at his friend Claire's home.

The two adults went on to Merlotte's Restaurant and Bar. The place was busy. Normally, they chose to sit in a booth but not tonight.

Sookie came up to the table and took the drink order. Someone else would join them soon.

A tall, muscular, bald headed vampire with a square jaw entered the restaurant. He wore a designer business suit.

The new vampire walked to the couple's table and introduced himself. "I am Charles. I represent someone who would very much like to strike a deal with you." He was addressing Pam.

"And what would that be?"

Charles the vampire sat down. His nostrils flared. "Did you enjoy the child?" Tony clenched his jaw, narrowed his eyes. Charles answered Pam's question. "My client is in need of wolves. You have access."

"If your client truly wanted wolves then he or she would know where to get them."

"You feed on this wolf." He waved a hand in the direction of Tony as if he were just an object.

"And?"

Sookie arrived at the table. One expensive blood for the new guy, coming right up.

"Is he trained?"

"You tell me. You have your opinion already."

Charles pressed his lips together. "No. We dont' believe that he is." A devilish grin appeared. "It would appear that he is your... lover?" He found it difficult to believe and juicy at the same time.

The couple stared at him with blank faces as Sookie dropped off the blood bottle.

"Either way, it doesn't matter. You have the Shreveport Weres. Eric Northman is your maker and you are close with him so it stands to reason that he is aware of this arrangement. Northman may have even made the arrangement himself."

Tony was getting impatient. "What's your point?"

"My point is that we don't date other supes unless it is advantageous... Eric is mounting his army so that he can overthrow Castro, and we want part of it."

Pam regarded him. "We have what we need."

"If that is true, Northman has far greater resources than we knew."

Tony interrupted, "Why aren't you taking this to Mr. Northman?"

Charles grinned at Tony. "Because the key to his _certain _defeat lays with your people, your abilities and your cooperation."

Tony gave him a cold, hard stare. "It could also be a way to get rid of the Weres once and for all. If the Weres went in attacking vampires, a new war between our peoples would start."

Without missing a beat Charles responded. "Not with a well planned, well timed attack. With only Castro's followers taken out, it would be clear that the Weres were not out for just any vampire."

Pam interjected. "The vampires would fear the Weres coming after them after having such a victory. It would still start a new war."

"That is where the planning comes in, dear Pam." He smiled broadly. "We make it known that the wolves are ours and the problem is gone... The wolves are part of our... group."

"You can't announce any such thing before the coup; it would raise too many suspicions." Tony was eying the vampire. "What certainty do we have that you would say something after?"

Pam and Tony waited for an answer.

"None. You will tell your Weres that they will have a new King soon. Northman will meet with me tomorrow to discuss specifics. We will be a part of Castro's fall." Here came the threat. "Try to do without us and we will see to it that Castro kills you for treason before we kill him. There is plenty of evidence that Northman is plotting against his king."

_Seriously? A vampire and a werewolf cavorting is sufficient evidence? No. They must have something else._

Tony spoke next, "We'll call you with a response, before dawn."

Pam was thoughtful, "King of California?"

Charles gathered his brows. "What?"

Pam was piecing together information. "You said the new King. Castro is on decent terms with Texas and Arizona. Do you speak of the California Queen?"

Now Tony was confused. "I thought you just said King?"

Pam said with a playful lilt, "He is a queen."

Charles looked at them, "I am not talking about King Francisco. The new King would be your maker, Eric Northman."

Pam's lips tightened as she pressed them back. "What would your client get out of it?"

"She will negotiate with Eric on that." He got up and handed Pam a business card. "We'll be waiting for your call." He left the building.

The business card was for an Atlantic City based security company. It specialized in surveillance technology and nighttime body guards. Day guards were available too.

Tony ate a bowl of spicy chili while Pam made a call to Eric. When Pam returned she said that Eric would meet with the representative. Just in case it was a means to get him away from Sookie, Pam and Bubba would both be on duty tomorrow night.

Pam paid the bill, leaving a nice tip for Sookie.

As they drove off in Pam's car Tony let her know that his parents would be in the area for the next few days. They'd stop by Bon Temps tomorrow and spend sometime before going on to Shreveport.

His parents didn't have much time to visit after Sandra's sentence. Both had work and community obligations that made a long visit difficult. They had made a point to take off for a few days around the upcoming full moon so that they could run with the pack while visiting family and friends. Now that the trial had happened, that visit was even more important to them. Grand-mère and grand-père would spend the next few days in Bon Temps with Gordon and they would stay the nights at his house in Shreveport.

Tony's parents knew about Pam. They weren't thrilled about it, but tried to remind themselves that his life was his own. His parents made it clear that they would kill Pam if she ever hurt their grandchild. His parents could behave themselves around Pam. BUT, if there was a problem... he would ask them to leave.

A few hours later, Gordon was sleeping in his bed at the Herveaux house. Before he turned in for the night, Pam let Tony know just how much she appreciated his willingness to stand up to his parents.

She was very appreciative


	15. Meet the Grandparents

(15) Les grands-parents

This morning was much like the previous. Only Pam started to wake him up ten minutes before the alarm was due to go off. She was one randy vampire. It was a hell of a way to wake up. He wasn't about to say "no." He enjoyed it too much. It was a unique brand of torture that she could please him so well yet he didn't feel that he could do as well for her. Yet. She was riding him before the alarm went off.

There were definite advantages to being in a relationship. Morning sex was right at the top of the list. It was a rare pleasure. Well, maybe not anymore. Sometimes he liked to sleep in, but who the hell cared about that when you could get laid.

After the best wake-up call Tony had ever had, Pam shoved some clothes his way. He needed to get dressed.

He ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, grabbed the duffel bag and checked in on his sleeping son. He stared at him as he slept. Pam asked him what he was thinking. "He slept through the night last night. He didn't scream, or whimper... the other day after his wolf-back ride, he had a restful nap. And now... he made it through an entire night." Pam smiled at him. "What story did he pick out last night?"

"He requested the _Seven Ravens_ story again." She looked at Gordon. "He likes that the maiden is able to save her family." Tony knew that there was another meaning under her sentence. He waited. "He is afraid he will lose his Daddy too."

Mary-Jo was right. Gordy liked talking to Pam. He must have said this to her when he was in the shower. "What did you say?"

The corner of her lip turned up a bit. "I told him that his Daddy isn't going anywhere. I also told him that if anyone came after his Daddy, that Auntie Pam would take care of it."

Tony grabbed her and kissed her. Things would have escalated rather quickly had they not heard the car park in the driveway. Betty-Ann had arrived. He let out a sigh of disappointment. "Thank you."

Betty-Ann came inside. Her nose twitched a bit and her eyebrows rose. There was the lingering smell of sex. If Betty-Ann had had any doubts to how close a relationship Pam and Tony had, those doubts were gone now. She did not approve. Not that it was her place to say so. Pam and Tony half expected her to shake her head in disapproval. Betty-Ann didn't go that far.

The vampire and wolf left the building and made their way to Sookie's property. Bubba had just finished his bedtime snack of skunk. Bubba said that somebody had phoned about half an hour earlier and Eric answered. Things around the estate were quiet.

Bubba and Pam both left for their day locations.

*******************

It was another boring day. He tried not to let his mind wander too much. That could be a mistake when you were guard duty.

His thoughts kept drifting to Pam. Not only was she sexy and great in the sack, but she'd be a great mother wolf; _if_ _she were living._ She was great with Gordon without even trying. Pam, in her awkward way, was already a better female role model than Gordon's own mother had been. Too bad Pam could never have his children. _Whoa. Did he want more? He hadn't thought about it._

Tony told himself to snap back to reality. He patrolled the woods and then sat. He would patrol again if he felt his mind start to wander off again.

Finally relief came in the form of Sam Merlotte.

Tony headed back to the house where his parents were waiting for him.

The pristine old white Cadillac sat on the gravel in front of the Herveaux House. Mère Herveaux was a tall woman, just short of six feet. She had light brown shoulder length wavy hair and hazel eyes. This woman was in her early fifties, but no one would have guessed. She looked much younger for her age. Père Herveaux was a couple of inches taller than his wife and had a thick head of reddish brown hair. He was a couple of years younger than his wife. Though he too looked young for his age, he looked to be older than Mère Herveaux.

Betty-Ann had left for Shreveport.

Wonderful smells came from the house as Tony approached. His mère was baking bread and cooking meat. It smelled heavenly.

He came in the back door near the kitchen. Tony greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek. Gordy was giggling. Tony went to the living room to see. Gordy was riding grand-père.

"Papa, don't encourage him. Not in the house. You of all people know better. You used to make me clean the house after I changed inside." He watched his father. The wolf knelt down so Gordy could get off.

His papa walked away from Gordy and changed into his human form. Tony greeted his papa with a hug.

The grand-père looked around the area. He had shed a lot. There was even fur on the couch, and he didn't go up on the couch when he was turned. His claws would have torn the fabric. "Where's the vacuum?" Tony pointed to the closet.

"Papa." He gave his father a look. "This house is an office, sometimes humans stop by. Please put some clothes on."

"Sure." His parents didn't live in a community with humans. They weren't used to having to modify their behavior with family while inside a home.

Grand-père started cleaning up while Tony and Gordy checked on the food that was cooking; Fillet mignon, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens and homemade buttermilk biscuits. There was pound cake for dessert.

The food was amazing. Mama didn't make garlic mashed potatoes, she was trying to show that she could tolerate him going with a vamp. Her biscuits were better than anything he could buy in the store. Baking bread was not one of his culinary skills; he couldn't even get pizza dough to come out well. Gordy echoed that. Grand-mère's food was good and Daddy didn't make good pizza.

The group cleaned up the table and put dishes in the washer. Grand-mère insisted on cleaning up the kitchen while the men spent time outside.

Gordon showed his grand-père the sneaky kicking trick that his daddy had taught him as they kicked the soccer ball across the yard.

Darkness descended. It was the night of the full moon. His parents would not stay much longer. The need to change built up as the evening of a full moon went on, so they'd stay maybe two more hours before leaving for Shreveport to run with the pack.

Pam arrived in her car and walked inside. Before Tony had a chance to say "hello" Gordy had her in a bear hug. Aware of her new audience, she hugged back and hoped it didn't look as awkward as it felt. Tony kissed her "hello" and introduced his parents, Marie and Frank. They said "hello" and nodded their heads.

The polite conversation was strained. Each party made an effort to add to the conversation. The easiest topic was Gordy. There was a lot of talk about Gordy and what he liked and disliked. Gordy joined in the conversation. His grandparents were impressed with how well Pam knew Gordon. Gordon told his grands-parents how he taught Pam how to color. She knew some really good stories too.

Gordy's bedtime neared. Grand-mère supervised his bath. He wore his _Cars_ pajamas when he was done bathing. He was told to brush his teeth and pick out a book. Gordon did as he was told, then went around to each person and hugged 'em "good night."

He went into his room and his grand-mère went in too, to tuck him in. A couple of minutes later she came back out and looked at Pam. "He's asking for you." There was a trace of hurt in her voice. Marie could not believe that her grandson asked for a vampire.

"Then I will go see what he wants." Pam got up and went to Gordon's room.

They listened as Gordon was tucked in by Pam. He asked her to tell him the story of the _Seven Ravens_ again. Pam told him that there are other stories. Wouldn't he like to hear a new story? No. The one with the Raven's was his favorite; he wanted to hear it again. Pam retold the story.

Before Pam left the room, Gordy asked Pam if she knew why grand-père, grand-mère, and Daddy were acting funny. He didn't like it. Pam explained that Gordon's grandparents had never met her before and wanted to make sure that he and Daddy would be safe.

Gordy said that they were silly if they thought Pam would do something bad to him or Daddy. He would tell them that.

Pam came back to the living room and said that she would have to leave soon. She was on duty tonight while Eric was at his meeting. Tony might like to join them since he would need to change into wolf form anyway. Pam happened to know that Claire, the baby-sitter, was not at Merlotte's tonight; she might be able to watch Gordy. If Claire wasn't available, surely they could find someone.

Les grands-parents took in Pam's mini speech with some bewilderment. Suspicion showed on their faces. Of course they figured that the vampire had a sinister plan of some sort. Wolves were raised to believe that vampires always had a sinister plan. Mère Herveaux spoke. "We can take him with us to Shreveport. He can stay the night with the other pups."

Tony tried to soothe his parents without letting his own anxiety take hold. "Mama he's already in bed. Also, he's not been around many of us in our second nature since the night of the trial. I'll hang around the house tonight... I don't like being a wolf in the house, but I can do it." He smiled at his papa then turned to Pam. "Thank you for thinking of a sitter. But it's not easy turning back before day break after the night of a full moon. I wouldn't expect Claire or anyone else to stay so long, nor would I want to give her a scare."

His parents had a hint of smugness. It was as if they'd won some sort of competition. No doubt they were happy that Pam's suggestion didn't pan out.

Pam wasn't thrilled that her invitation and sitter solution were rejected. She gave him a kiss "goodbye" and nodded "goodbye" to his parents. The vampire had a telepath to watch over.

His parents reiterated their offer to take Gordy. Tony and Gordy could both come. Mama asked him how long it had been since he last ran with the pack at a full moon. His answer was, "at the last full moon."

His own home was in Shreveport, he rarely missed a pack run under the full moon. But things were different now. He had full custody of Gordy and was living in Bon Temps at the moment.

Mère Herveaux said to her husband that she thought they ought to stay in Bon Temps too. Tony was quick to say that he did not want three hairy wolves worth of hair to clean up after. _And_ Bon Temps was not a good place for a group of wolves to run at the moment. Mama and Papa waited for an explanation. Tony simply said that there had been trouble lately with some out-of-town vamps._ He didn't want his parents mixed up in the Jersey vampire-werewolf situation if it could be avoided._

Tony all but pushed them through the door. His parents, finally, headed for Shreveport.

*******************

Tony turned on the TV. "Mythbusters" was on. That was a fun show. On this episode, they were shooting into water. Water proved to be an effective bullet barrier. He'd have to remember that the next time someone started to shoot at him. _So long as he was near a body of water._

His body tensed and tingled. The Were did his best to fight it.

Another episode of "Mythbusters" was coming on. They were going to test a myth on airplane safety: Airlines did not want there to be survivors in a plane crash and that the seats were designed to make that happen.

Fur appeared on his arms, his feet changed into paws. Tony got off of the couch he had been on and sat on the floor. He tried to fight the change while he thought that anyone in a plane accident might as well just kiss their ass goodbye. _If a person survived a fall from that high up, at that kinda speed; it was God wanted him alive._

By the end of the episode, Tony-the-wolf was sitting on the floor. _Too bad if he wanted to watch something other than the "Mythbusters" marathon_. Paws didn't handle remote controls too well. Growl.

A couple of hours passed. The most difficult thing Tony dealt with was the toilet. Opening doors with paws wasn't easy. So going outside to relieve himself wasn't happening. That left the very human device known as the toilet. The lid was down. He had to push it up with his nose before he could negotiate a good position. The absurdity of it made him want to laugh.

More hours passed. Those nut-jobs were testing driving myths. Did people drive better when they were sober, and not distracted by a cell phone? _That was a loaded question._ The drivers were fine, more or less, on their initial driving exam. When the drivers had a cell phone, they drove horribly. The caller also was not talking simple chit chat. He was giving them math questions and memory questions._ Who had a conversation like that on the phone?_ It definitely showed a link between accidents and distracted driving. _But that distraction could be in the car, it didn't have to be on a cell phone._ _But two hands on the wheel is always a plus. _The drunken driving part was just as bad as the distracted driving.

In the next episode, they'd blow up a cement truck. _Ya!_

Pam came in. "Eric is back. He is with Sookie. You're getting hair all over the house." She went to the back door and opened it. "I'll stay in the living room until you come back." He tilted his head and stared at her. "Don't tell me you're worried about Gordon... I am too fond of you to hurt him. He is needy and he can be annoying, asking for the same story time after time." She smiled at Tony. "But he is tolerable. Now, go."

She assured him that his son would be fine. If anything came up, she would let him know. He didn't carry a cell phone in his wolf form, but he had excellent hearing. She'd set off his car alarm so he'd know to come running.

Tony ran in the woods. He didn't go too far from the house, so the running grounds weren't very good. Much of it was wet and muddy. The area of dry ground was limited, but he was able to run and hunt.

He saw a deer, but didn't chase. If he killed it tonight, it would not be so easy to carry back to the house while he was in wolf form. They didn't usually eat the prey on site; the wolves ate well enough at home. When hunting with a pack, the group had perfected its' retrieval technique._ Alone was a whole other matter. _He went after a small animal instead; one that he could carry back in his mouth. He came back with a large rabbit.

Dawn neared. Tony returned to the house with his kill. Pam was not in the living room.

He listened intently. Pam was in the bedroom with Gordy. She was telling Gordy that his dreams only felt real. What he dreamed about would not happen. His daddy was a good man and a good father. The pack loved his daddy and him too.

Gordy had sleep in his voice. "Do you love my Daddy too?"

She told the pup, "Your daddy is a unique wolf. I enjoy spending time with him."

He sounded like he was smiling. "You love my daddy too."

Pam came out of his room as Tony approached the back door. Betty-Ann trotted over to the back door too. She had run over to Bon Temps in wolf form and smelled Tony at the back of the house. She noticed the rabbit he held. She'd take care of it later, when she had opposable thumbs. Pam heard their footsteps and opened the door to allow them in.

Betty-Ann's eyes were wide as Pam told Tony that Gordy had had another nightmare but seemed fine now. Tony trotted to the door and sunk a peek at his son who was sleeping again.

Since he was on Sookie Duty for the next six hours, Tony didn't even bother changing back to human form. He and Pam left for Sookie's home. Betty-Ann would naturally change form within the next hour, if there was an emergency she could do it now.

*******************

The six hours after Pam left for her day location, were wearisome. Big surprise there. Sookie slept for four of those six hours. The last two hours weren't very exciting for him either. He could hear her turn on the shower, cook breakfast, clean up the kitchen, put in a load of laundry, vacuum and turn on the TV. Many people thought that being a guard was exciting. _That was true when you were fighting for the life of the person you were protecting, or fighting for your own life._ Most of the time was spent looking for threats and trying to keep your mind alert because the day was mind numbingly dull.

Tony returned home after Sam had arrived for his shift. When he returned, food was on the table.

Mama and Papa had returned from Shreveport. Mama had cooked up the rabbit and fixed some collard greens. The foursome ate before Tony excused himself to go sleep. Gordy went for his nap when Daddy went for his.

Tony woke with a big smile on his face as Pam kissed his chest. "My parents let you in?"

She nuzzled his stomach. "They're not here. They left a note for you on the kitchen counter." She handed him the slip of paper.

His parents figured that he could sleep. They took Gordon to see a children's show at the library in town.

Pam kissed and caressed his stomach one more time before she sat herself on the edge of the bed; business first. "Queen Levana wants Nevada in exchange for her helping Eric to overthrow Castro. She has no interest in Arkansas or Louisiana."

He sighed. "Is there any truth to it? Does Eric want to be king?"

One corner of her mouth rose. "He would be a great king. But he does not want the title."

Tony sat up. "What's the plan?"

Pam had an uneasy smile. "We need to convince the queen that the Shreveport pack and Eric's vampires are good buddies. Once she is fully convinced that everyone on both sides is on board, we will work on planning the attack."

"That is a tall order. All Were's think vampires are sinister, cunning, bloodthirsty evil fiends." That was true in the extreme for some members.

She stated pragmatically, "Most of my people believe Weres are filthy, uneducated, unrefined, bloodthirsty dolts." He chuckled when she said "bloodthirsty." _That was rich. A vampire accusing werewolves of being bloodthirsty!_

He smirked, "_Some_ Weres fit that description. None that I know personally," He reached for Pam and wrapped his arms around her. "I do know a vampire that is intelligent, honorable, loyal, funny, doesn't become a psycho with the mere scent or sight of blood and is as sexy as hell."

Pam inhaled his aroma. It was intoxicating. "All of that surprised you because it didn't fit in with your perception of a vampire." She stated this as a fact.

"Yeah... well, not the intelligence. Weres have always figured that most vampires were quite intelligent. But honor, humor, loyalty, and not becoming psychotic in the presence of blood... that was news to me." He gave her an almost shamefaced smile.

She had a hint of a smile. "Some vampires fit the description you paint. Most do not..." Now she had a real smile. "I've met a Were that is civilized, successful, loyal, virtuous, honorable… And can drive a woman crazy in bed." She knew how to stroke a man's ego.

"Oh... this is not going to be easy." He said. "Eric will call Alcide tonight?" They wouldn't have spoken last night. Alcide ran with the pack all night.

Tony heated and ate the tuna casserole that his mother had left for him. Pam drank a blood. The poster children for inter-species / inter-mythological creatures, _(what could you call it?_) relations. The two poster children discussed possible scenarios.

A howl sounded outside. Tony knew it at once to be Todd's howl. Not more than two seconds after he told Pam that he had to run, he had turned into his wolf form.

Pam recognized the body language as being ready for a fight. He ran. Todd howled again, from a new position. Tony adjusted his course slightly.

Tony slowed as he neared the area. Humans. Several of them, well armed. One person, a balding male called out. "Sandra. It doesn't have to be like this. We're on the same side. You're alive, we're alive. Show yourself..." He kept calling out. Sometimes making a plea, other times making a threat. _How stupid did he think wolves were?_

A few shouts rang out a short distance away. They had her, someone yelled out. Someone said she had a _Johnson_ in this form. _How thick could you get? Hello? Were's didn't change gender!_

The balding guy pulled out a walkie-talkie, "Davy? Ye there?" He was there. "Get yer knife ready. The second I shoot the bitch, ye start to cuttin'. Are ye wit' 'em now?" No. There was no activity near Davy. Davy didn't know where the group was. The bald guy, Bruce, told someone named Tommy to use the flare gun. A flare went up.

Bruce checked that he had silver bullets in his gun and began heading to the encircled wolf. Tony ran and jumped on him. Bruce crashed to the ground, eating dirt. His neck cracked on impact.

Tony approached the outside of the circle. There were too many surrounding Todd. Todd would need something to distract the humans. Tony hid behind a large tree and growled. The crowd panicked, Todd was freed from the circle. Humans were all over. Chaos ensued.

One man ran at Tony. Todd lunged and bit the man. Another person shot at Todd, so Tony went after that person. A few people ran off in a panic, but not enough to make a difference. Tony or Todd would pick one off and another would take its' place.

There was a whoosh in the air followed by a few muffled sounds of surprise or even a scream. He could smell Pam. She was damned fast; the humans wouldn't see her coming.

Yet another human advanced on Tony. Tony pulled the human down and bit. Suddenly, Tony was splayed on the ground himself. There was another whoosh in the air and the weight was gone. _Eric_? Eric just did that. Tony tried to get up. He couldn't. He couldn't feel his legs. Tony began to turn back to his human form.

Pam came near and fought anyone that advanced on her or Tony. Mama and Papa were there too. By the time the fight was over, the area was riddled with corpses.

Most corpses were human, but not all of them. A handful of the assailants were vampire, and a couple were Were. The supernatural assailants each carried a card identifying himself as a member of the Atlantic City security team. No doubt that the queen had them to infiltrate the Fellowship to find out what happened to Sandra.

Tony still couldn't move. The damage was bad. A human had jumped down from a tree and onto his back, breaking his back in the process. Moving him could cause his death. He might be paralyzed for the rest of his life. Wolves healed very well, but not every injury was recoverable.

His parents changed form and came to him. He asked them where his son was. Gordon was with Sookie and Sam. They were in Merlotte's eating dessert when they heard Todd's howl.

Papa said that he would be back soon. He was going to find a phone and call Dr. Ludwig. To Papa's surprise, Eric offered his. Papa made the call and explained what happened, what was needed. Dr. Ludwig would likely be able to save his life, but she could not make any promises about his being able to walk again. At least not until she'd seen the damage... even then, the quicker the response the better off he'd be. She was more than an hour away. She was leaving as they hung up.

Pam asked the group to leave. She wanted to talk to Tony alone. Eric looked at her sideways, and then left the immediate area. Papa and Mama Herveaux were reluctant to leave their injured son. He insisted. They left the immediate area too. The vampire and wolves began to clean up signs of the carnage.

Pam told Tony that she could heal him. Vampire blood didn't just make people high; it healed them when healing was required. If it were done right now, he would definitely live. He would also be able to give his son wolf-back rides.

Tony liked Pam and had nothing against her being a vampire, but that wasn't for him. He couldn't do it.

Pam smiled and asked him if he'd ever heard of someone turning Vampire after using "V". He hadn't, no one had. Pam assured him that the process was more involved than simply drinking blood. He consented to her offer.

She kneeled by him and bit her wrist. The vampire pushed her bloody wrist to his lips. He sucked.

The first couple of draws didn't seem to do much of anything. Tony worried about the wisdom of this exchange. His body began to tingle. The wound that he sucked on closed. Pam made a new one for him to suck on. Before he realized it, he was sitting up. Pam was behind Tony with one arm wrapped around him and other still feeding him. Suddenly he was aware that her breasts were full and her nipples were hard as rocks. This time, when the wound closed, Pam told him to stay still for a few minutes before trying to walk.

Mama and Papa returned to check on Tony. They could smell her on him, in him. Père Herveaux was incensed. He yelled at Pam. "What did you do? You had no right!"


	16. Disillusionment

(16)Disillusionment

Père Herveaux advanced on Pam as he bellowed once more, "You had no right!" He was outraged.

Tony looked at his father and spoke in a cold, warning tone. "Enough Papa." His père stopped and stared at Tony. Tony was perturbed. He lowered his voice in an effort to have semblance of calm and addressed his parents. "Pam healed me... and she had every right. She asked me first. I consented."

"She didn't ask you. She made you, commanded you." His mother hissed.

"Glamour doesn't work on us, Mama. You know that." Tony was surprised at her.

"They can't glamour us they way they can the humans. But they're deceitful. And women, they get power over a man once they've been with 'em. That..." He waved his hand indicating Pam, "she's got more practice than any human woman for sure. Son, I can't believe you let her do that to you."

"Papa." The disbelief was in his voice. "I can't believe you'd say such things. She holds no more power over me than I do her. Pam helped me tonight. She helped the Weres tonight. She could have stayed out of it. The Fellowship was going after Weres tonight, not vampires. Yet she put herself out there to help when she didn't have to."

"Vampires like to fight." His father stated as he glimpsed Pam.

"Yes. Like we do. But we tend to not fight others' battles. And Pam didn't just fight, she protected me when I was down. Then she healed me."

His parents were shocked all over again. Mère Herveaux was in tears. "But my boy... your my boy and now you're a..."

He let out a long sigh. "I'm still a wolf mama. She healed me. She didn't Turn me."

Pam kept her eyes on the Herveaux's as she stood up. "I'll tell Eric that we can cancel Dr. Ludwig's visit." Surely he already knew, but it was a convenient excuse to leave him to talk with his parents. It probably was best that Pam didn't stay with the three of them. _Difficult as it may be to control the urge to bite someone you love when you were angry; it was much more difficult when you disliked the person._

Pam left as his parents came nearer to him. They eyed one another as they passed by.

_Was he certain that she was telling the truth?_ Vampires were known for their fiendish ways. Tony felt a momentary jolt of panic. It was soon replaced by another emotion when his Papa spoke.

Père Herveaux was serious. "If you can't go out in the sun tomorrow we're going to..."

Tony didn't want to hear it. "Do not finish that sentence... Pam has been nothing but good to me and Gordy. We're together. You don't have to like it, but you will be polite about it."

Mère Herveaux finally spoke. "Why? Why would she help a wolf? Those things never did a good thing for anybody."

Her son responded. "How would you know mama? Ever spend time with one?" He looked at his mother. "I didn't think so. Pam is a vampire, yes. She is _not_ the monster our people paint vampires to be." He looked at both his parents. "I'm not sayin' you ought to be brushin' elbows with 'em, I'm not sayin' that they're all good people. I'm saying that, like humans and like Weres; they're capable of doing good and they're capable of doing evil. Pam's one of the good one's. I wouldn't be with her otherwise. She's a great person and I'll stand by her because it is the right thing to do. You two raised me to know right from wrong; am I the only one that learned the lesson?" The expression on his face was clear. He was disappointed in his parents.

He stood up. His body felt great all over. One glance told volumes as to how good his body was feeling. _Too bad that the mind didn't feel as good as the body. __Too bad he and Pam weren't alone._ Any distraction at the moment would be nice.

Papa opened his mouth as if to speak. Instead, Tony talked. "There's little point in ya'll goin' to Shreveport tonight. Stay at the house. We'll talk in the _morning._"

Since his son was over at Merlotte's and Merlotte's was a human place, Tony needed to go there looking human. A dressed human. Tony did not say another word before he changed into wolf form and raced to the Herveaux House in record time. He changed back to human-form, showered and put on clothes.

Time to be human. Tony was about to head for Merlotte's when Pam appeared and kissed him. "Got time for a quickie?" She asked. He would love to, but he really ought to wait until he and Gordy returned from Merlotte's. Pam informed him that Merlotte's closed a few hours ago. That information agitated him immensely. He'd lost hours as he healed. He felt a little shock when he looked at the time. Pam told him that Gordy was now at Sookie's place, with Sookie and Eric. He was asleep. Pam realized Tony wasn't doing anything, anywhere, until he saw his son.

They headed for telepath's home as the four legged grands-parents approached the house. They passed one another without sound nor expression.

Eric opened the door and allowed Tony and Pam entrance. Tony was directed upstairs. The room he went to was feminine but not overtly so. Most of the furniture and materials were organic or natural, with vibrant earth and jewel-tone colors. He could smell Amelia's scent. There was a trace of Tray's scent left too. Gordon slept soundly on the double bed.

Before he got close enough to gather his son, he heard Eric ask him to come down stairs. Tony really didn't feel like chit chat, or business either. He also didn't want to start something with a thousand year old vampire when he was tired and emotionally drained. There was also the fact that Eric was Pam's maker; which made him kind of like a father. He was the closest thing to family that Pam had, as far as Tony knew. Eric was important to Pam and an okay vampire. Tony walked down the stairs. Pam followed.

Eric glanced at the staircase. "It's not a good idea to wake a sleeping child." His stare was distant for a moment. "It can be difficult to get them to settle down and go back to sleep." Was Eric remembering his _living_ days? Did he have children when he was alive? "There is plenty of space upstairs. You can stay the night here with your son. And do not worry about Sookie, she suggested the arrangement."

That seemed rather odd. A thousand year old vampire just said that he could stay the night?! He kept a neutral face and glanced at Pam. He would swear that Pam had an emotion on her face, more so than usual. _Was she trying to reassure him that staying really was a good idea? _He couldn't help but feel that something was different about Pam.

"Thank you for the offer," he looked at his watch and blinked. It still amazed him how quickly the night passed after he was hurt. "I go on duty in just a couple of hours. Gordy's sitter will be at the house..." _His parents would go ape shit; _they expected their son to return with Gordy. If Tony didn't return his parents would likely assume that they were right and she had Turned him and did god knew what to Gordy.

Pam stood next to Tony as he and Eric spoke. Eric told him, "Todd called Alcide after your father called Dr. Ludwig. Darrell is taking your shift today and someone named Ula is taking Todd's hours... Did Alcide not contact you?"

His cell phone hadn't rung and there weren't any messages on the answering machine back at the house. Tony pulled out the cell phone and saw that he had a text message from Alcide. It was received before Tony went back to the house. Tony had not opened the cell to check for _missed_ calls or messages. The message told Tony what Eric had just said.

With things the way that they were, his parents might start a new war if they came charging in during the day because their grandson and son didn't return from a vampire's nest. Waking his son and returning to the house to stay with his parents was not what he wanted to do. But, the situation dictated that he should go back with his son, even if it wasn't what he'd prefer. As he processed these thoughts, Pam looked at him expectantly. She waited for him to say something.

He broke the brief silence. "My parents aren't convinced that I'm still among the living..."

Pam looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Is there something wrong with their noses?" She sniffed him. "You still smell like a fur ball to me." Now days, Pam said "fur ball" with affection. It made him feel warm towards her. She smiled, a bigger smile than normal for Pam.

Though he felt warmth for Pam, he was weary about dealing with his parents. "There's never been a turned wolf before. Well, aside from Jake Purifoy." Jake had been Turned by Sookie's Turned cousin Hadley after he was mortally wounded by another vampire. He was not accepted among the Were's after that. "No one, except for maybe Alcide, spent any time with him. He became a leper. Alcide is the only wolf that I know of who could tell you if a wolf-turned-vampire smelled like a vampire or a wolf." Tony didn't know Jake well, but Jake seemed like a nice Were and once was well liked among the pack. _If they had been close like he was with Tray, Todd, and Alcide; Would Tony have visited Jake-the-vampire before having met Pam?_ If he were honest with himself; probably not.

Eric pressed his lips into a hard, thin line. "Yes. It was difficult for him from both sides..." Jake couldn't handle it, and worked with the Fellowship to blow up a hotel filled with vampires. That did not work out very well for either side. "We need to improve relations among our peoples."

Tony put an arm around Pam and gave a her little squeeze. "I should be going." He turned toward the stairs.

Pam put a firm hand on his shoulder. "You should stay here and talk with your parents when you are well rested." She couldn't really being saying this. _Did she not hear what he said about his parents going ape shit?_ Pam continued. "Darrell will be here soon. He will be able testify to your being here should your parents come…"

"Pam, when Weres see red…" Tony began to explain why that was not a good idea.

"I understand. You should also understand, that staying here for a few hours is best for you and your son." A mischievous look crossed her face. "You also know that this house has charms on it. The witches added some good ones to the mix, ones that will protect the occupants from living attackers too."

Tony sighed. "They're probably asleep already, but I'll call the house and leave a message if neither picks up."

Tony called. His parents weren't asleep. They wanted to know what was taking so long. When Tony said that he was going to stay somewhere else, that Gordy was sleeping; his parents went ballistic. When he finally got a word in, he told his parents that he'd see them after lunch. They would talk when Gordy went down for his nap. His parents reiterated their threats on the vampire. If Tony didn't show during the day, they were going to hunt… Tony hung up on his parents' threat mid-sentence.

Tony shook his head and started to speak. Pam put her fingers on his mouth, shushing him. "Go." She replaced her fingers with her lips and gave him a light kiss. "Get some rest."

He was beat. Dead tired. Well, not dead but tired. Thinking of tomorrow almost made his fatigue worse. He went upstairs, took off his shoes and lay next to his son.

* * *

Tony woke to a bright day, with sunshine streaming in through the window. There was a blanket on top of him, Gordon was awake and somewhere nearby on the second floor. Gordy came into the doorway and looked at his daddy. "Good morning Daddy." Daddy said "Good morning pup." Then Gordon turned and ran down the stairs to tell Sookie that his father was awake. She asked Gordon what kind of sandwich he liked. There was a pause, Gordon probably shrugged or made some other none vocal response. Tony had heard the question, what with having a wolf's hearing and all. He said in a normal voice level that he "wasn't picky." Gordon heard his father from down stairs and told Sookie. _His boy was ahead of the curve, he already had keen hearing._

Daddy wolf put on his shoes, made the bed and went downstairs. _Sandwiches? It's lunch time?_ Crap. He hadn't thought through all he wanted to say to his parents, or how to say it. _What did he want to say?_ At least they'd know he wasn't a vampire when he showed up during the day.

He greeted Sookie, thanked her for the hospitality and hugged his son. Tony was feeling a bit sheepish that he'd slept so late. He hadn't even gotten six hours sleep, but he felt weird waking up at lunch time. Weird and wired. Like he was plugged into something. His body was hopping with energy.

After lunch, Tony and Gordy began to leave Sookie's for the Herveaux House. Les grands-parents were waiting. Sookie asked if they knew what happened last night? "Yes_."_ Did they know that he was okay? Tony hedged on the answer. _Okay in what sense?_

Someone, most likely Pam, had driven his truck over. Gordy climbed into the cab as Tony thanked Sookie once again. Sookie took a good look at him and said, "Pam must lo... really like you." His face said it all. _How did she know?_ "One of my _talents_. I can sense it..." She read not just his face, but his inner emotions. She realized that something about the exchange bothered him. "I won't tell anyone. The vampires don't want humans to know what _V_ can do. But if I can sense it then your pack mates probably can too, huh?" Then she knew she hit the nail on the head. "Pack members are angry about it? They're upset?"

"My parents are afraid that Pam has Turned me. They won't be convinced until I show up today during daylight." He managed to say this with very little inflection of any kind.

"Oh." Sookie thought for a moment. "I'd have thought that your groups knew more about one another." She looked like she had more questions, but remained mute as Tony got into his truck. _It was Pam that moved his truck for him._ He smiled as he inhaled her scent.

Tony and Gordy entered the Herveaux House. Grand-mère and grand-père Herveaux watched with relief as their grandson and son walked into the living room in the afternoon. Gordy received hugs and kisses then went down for a nap.

There was a heavy silence. Finally, his mama spoke. "Thank god ya'll are alright. I've half a mind to go to Sam Merlotte and give him hell. Imagine the fright we got. Our son might be a vampire and our grandson was left in a house with one? What was he thinking?"

He let out a long breath of air. "He was thinking that Gordy was sleeping." He sank into a chair and stared at his parents. "Sam has watched Gordy before. He knows what I am okay with." He knew Tony's thoughts on Gordy being with vampires._ Damned if Tony felt he had to explain it out to his parents._

Mère and père were relieved initially, but now they looked tense and upset again. They still were angry with Sam for leaving Gordy with Sookie and a vampire. Oh, and the King-turned-vampire that was lurking in her woods; _they didn't need to know about that_. No, it wasn't Sam they were thinking about. Not at the forefront at least. They were staring at their son as if he might still sprout fangs. "You can see that I'm not a vampire. I'm walking, talking, breathing, I have a heartbeat... oh, and there's a thing called the sun which is outside and brightens the sky, the light of which kills vampires... I'm still here, and you both saw me walk in from outside. On a _sunny_ day!" His parents' faces shone with emotion but he couldn't quite figure it out.

His père said that they still weren't satisfied. Some legends said that the transformation took days. That was for a human. Tony's transformation might take longer since he was a werewolf. His parents were very glad to see that, for the moment , he was still alive during the day. But they believed it possible that he might be in the middle of a transformation.

This set off a round of arguing. If Tony turned, he would be a danger to Gordy. Les grands-parents would be remiss in their familial duty if they allowed their grandson to be near a vampire, especially a new one. They would leave for Shreveport after Gordy woke from his nap and they would take Gordy with him.

Tony was so full of emotions that he couldn't have picked one out. His parents who had taught him to be tolerant of others, only tolerated differences among humans and Weres. His parents who had taught him to recognize a good thing when he had it, didn't respect his judgment with his seeing a vampire. He had always felt a close bond with his parents, but now they wanted to take his son away because they mistrusted his judgment and were bigots. _Wow. He had never thought of them that way before._ _It was very disturbing._

The still living werewolf told his parents that they needed to leave. He would see them again next month at the full moon run. He might get there sooner if his current guard job was no longer needed.

They refused to leave. They would not risk Gordon's life. Gordon was leaving with them whether their son liked it or not. He knew they were good parents and were good to Gordy too. His parents would raise Gordon right. Maybe once it was clear that Tony wasn't a danger he could have supervised visits.

_Why the __**fuck**__ didn't he let them just drive back to Shreveport last night?_ If they'd gone on to the Shreveport house, they wouldn't be here having this ridiculous argument.

Tony wanted to fight. His body was tingling all over with the magic of change. Had someone else tried to claim his son, he would have already changed and killed the son of a bitch. But these were his parents. As much as he wanted to kill them, he wanted to protect them.

Grand-père sensed the magic of change and he readied to change too. Grand-mère noticed the scent and started to panic. Her son and her husband were about to fight. Were fights were always bloody and often lethal.


	17. Public Relations

(17) Public Relations

Tension built as they men faced one another. _Was he really going to fight is father?_ _How the hell did this happen?_ They eyed one another as the scent of magic increased and their bodies tingled with the anticipation of change and fight.

The doorbell rang. No one moved. A loud knock on the door followed. The door opened. Todd told someone, "I'll go in and see. You stay right here."

Todd smelled the magic and sensed the tension in the air. He glanced at Tony and at his parents. He was nervously looking between them as he began to speak, "Sookie thought..."

Père Herveaux cut him off. "We have family business to tend to. Tell her to come back later."

Sookie entered the living room area. She had sensed the high emotions and came in. The telepath didn't need to see Tony's body language or that of his parents to know that a fight was about to erupt. Seeing it with her eyes just made it all the more real. The telepath addressed the Herveaux's. "You're that mad that he is going with a vampire?!" No one responded. Sookie pushed on. "What? What is going on?" Todd told her that the Herveaux's weren't convinced that Tony was still human; he might be in the middle of a change. "It's day time. He is awake. What more can he do to prove he wasn't Turned?"

"You're an expert are you?" Père Herveaux addressed Sookie.

"I know well enough that healing a person and Turning them are two different things. I also know that if he were turned that he would not be walking during the day." She tried to reassure them, but she was agitated too.

"How many days does it take for a human to change? A wolf?" His papa wanted the answer.

Sookie didn't know how long it took, but she was sure that he wasn't changing. "He is _not_ changing."

Mère Herveaux looked at Sookie. "If you cannot help, you best leave. Things can get dangerous for a human."

Todd spoke to the Herveaux's. "I for one don't believe he's been Turned. If I did then I'd suggest..." He looked down. He was uncomfortable. "I'd insist that Gordy stay with someone else."

Sookie's entire face changed. "That is what this is about. You want to take Gordon from him. He is _not_ a danger to his son."

Tony peeled his eyes away from his family to regard Sookie. "My parents are seeing red right now. Nothing you say is going to stop what is about to happen. Please go."

Sookie straightened her spine and lifted her head. "No. I will not go. I will not let this happen. If your parents take him, it's kidnapping. A federal offense. If they hurt you in anyway, Pam will go after them. You know that. A fight here could start a new war."

Todd looked at them. "She's right. That also makes it a pack issue."

All eyes turned on Todd and Sookie. _Of course it was a pack issue. God forbid he have any say of his own._ One look at his parents told him they were thinking the same thing.

Mère Herveaux picked up the phone and called Alcide. She started by telling him that a blond vampire was turning her son and that she and her husband were concerned for the welfare of Gordy. Tony made a protest of exasperation as she spoke. Alcide could hear Tony and therefore knew that he was not a vampire.

When his mother was done telling the grandparental side of the story, she was instructed to hand the phone to Tony. Tony explained his side and that he was not Turned nor was he turning. He was certain of it. Next, Sookie was given the phone.

All ears listened as she recounted her first hand knowledge of vampire healing. The night that she and Alcide went to Club Dead, and she got staked? Eric healed her. That wasn't the first time, and it wasn't the last. She was not a vampire. There were effects of drinking V but most of them vanished with time; heightened libido, stamina, strength. There was much more to the process of being turned than a simple blood swap.

Alcide said that all Herveauxs were to remain where they were. They were not to fight under penalty of the pack. He was not happy. Alcide would get back to them in a few hours. He didn't say it, but Tony was certain that Alcide would be calling a vampire when he woke.

The scent of transformation had dissipated, but the tension hadn't. It lessened a bit. That was all.

Gordy woke and greeted everyone. He wanted to go out back and kick the soccer ball. Tony, Todd and Sookie followed him. After a while, Gordy tired of kicking ball.

Tony was about to put the ball away when his père came out. They played a game one-on-one and got out a lot of their aggressions. The two Weres were pretty well matched. Tony had just two points on his father.

Sookie went inside and made something for Gordon. She had made it in the kitchen, but it wasn't to eat. It was to play with. She called it Oobleck. Oobleck looked like liquid, and poured like a thick liquid. But if you poked it, it was hard. If you moved it between your hands really fast, you could make a ball with it. As soon as you stopped rolling the ball, a puddle took its place. The adults were fascinated with her concoction too. Mère Herveaux knew what it was, she watched Sookie make it; cornstarch, water and green food coloring. Sookie knew a teacher that had her kids do experiments with the stuff in class. The kids liked to play with it. Did Gordy know the story of _Bartholomew and the Oobleck?_ No, he didn't. Sookie would bring the book over sometime.

Dinnertime approached. No one was in a cooking mood. Tony took out the lasagna he'd had in the freezer, and stuck it in the oven. It would be plenty for everyone, but there would be no leftovers this time.

Darkness finally came. The call from Alcide soon followed. The Herveaux's were to respect Tony's rights as a father and they were to report to Shreveport tonight. Alcide had no reason to believe that his cousin had been Turned. If that should change, then he'd deal with it when the time came.

Papa and Mama seemed to know that they were going to get a talking to. They weren't happy about it, but Alcide was pack master in Shreveport. If they ever wanted to run with their old pack again, they had to toe the line. The two sedately began to gather their items when Eric came crashing in.

They changed almost instantly as Eric went to Sookie and looked her over. Eric turned to the two wolves. "Alcide is lenient with his people." The vampire turned back to Sookie. "What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt." He practically growled at Todd. "If she had been hurt, you would be dead. She is _mine,_ my family, and you let her take an unnecessary risk." Sookie glanced at him with an odd sort of look. _Eric just called her his "family." She wasn't his possession. _Tony was a bit suspicious of Eric's little speech.

Sookie looked up at Eric. "Eric, don't blame him. If he'd tried to forcibly stop me I would have fought back and gotten hurt anyway. He was about to pull me out of the house forcibly when Tony told me to... you know what? I'll tell you later. Todd did nothing wrong."

Gordy came over to his daddy. "Where's Auntie Pam?"

_Good question. _Tony was curious about that too. "I don't know." His parents reverted to their human shape, went to the door and looked like they were about to say something unpleasant. With one look back at their son, grandson and guests, they kept their mouths shut and left the house in their birthday suits.

Todd helped Gordon get ready for bed as the other three talked in the living room. Alcide didn't know all there was to know about vampire doings, but he knew enough and was certain that Tony wasn't changing. On top of that, it seemed that the way things were going... He and Pam would need to be "public" with their relationship in order to prove that relations between the Shreveport pack and the Area five vampires were excellent. Alcide was going to see to it that his parents helped, or got the hell out of the area. _Could making his parents pretend to accept her change their feelings?_ He'd pretended at the start of their acquaintance and somewhere along the line, he found that the genuinely like her. Tony didn't hold much hope there.

Todd and Gordy entered the living room. Gordy had on Monsters Inc. pajamas tonight. He had bathed, brushed his teeth and talked with his Uncle Todd. Gordy gave Todd a hug "good night" after Todd announced that he was leaving for the night.

Eric said that Pam was near. He and Sookie would take off so Tony and Pam could spend some time together.

The telepath and her vampire were out of the house when she spoke to him with a tentative voice. "Eric, about the vampire healing, I want you…"

He stopped her mid-sentence. "The Weres know that you've received healings. Alcide told me. I admit that I was not happy to hear that you told an outsider. Lucky for us, they're as secretive as we are. The Weres announcing that vampire blood has healing qualities would be like us announcing that Weres are sensitive to silver when they're in animal form. It's just not done... I am proud of you though. Not for putting yourself in harm's way; but for the things you said to Alcide about _us_ and the vampires in my area." There was a kissing sound followed by car doors and finally the sound of the car leaving the driveway.

Gordon went into the bedroom and got into bed. Tony read a Dr. Seuss book aloud when he heard the front door open then saw the smile on his son's face. He knew before the scent hit him; Pam had arrived. Tony paused his reading to turn and see Pam standing in the doorway, watching them. Gordon bolted out of the bed and ran to Pam, giving her a big hug. It warmed Tony to see that. Pam's affection grew more demonstrative than normal for her. Gordy climbed back into bed. Tony finished reading the book and tucked his son in the bed with a kiss "good night."

Tony gave her a peck on the cheek. He wanted to do more, but was certain that a shower was called for first. The wolf felt more like a pig at the moment. She grabbed him and kissed him passionately. Next, she closed the door to Gordon's room and said that she couldn't wait to have her wolf. He wasn't dirty, he had sweat some. His smell intoxicated her, she licked his salty skin.

The more she did, the harder it was to resist and the harder he became. Not that he wanted to resist. In short order, his hands and mouth were all over her in a flurry. They had moved into the living room; he lowered her onto the floor. He resumed his exploration of her body. He thought how lucky he was to have her. Tony admired many things about her and thought about them in rapid succession and Pam became more receptive than ever.

Her mouth was all over his body, with her hands in frenzy too. She spent some time liking and kissing his side. Once she had been there and he'd liked it but was too out of breath to say anything. Now, he wasn't saying anything but she found that spot again. She found a few sensitive spots tonight. _God, could she get any better?_ He didn't think there was such a thing.

She was on her back; her body arched in anticipation of him. He looked at her with ravenous eyes. She urged him to enter her. Her body was unhinged with excitement as he slid inside. Tony got her to look at him and he urged her to bite him. She did. As she swallowed, Tony enjoyed the feel it created inside her. She was near that crest; he was determined to get her there. Pam looked at him funny. He reached down to stimulate her with his hand too. Pam knew that his mission was to get her off, a few more strokes like that and she'd be off the planet. Tony came inside her and was cursing himself for not holding out longer. _Why couldn't he come _**after** her? Ugh! She was so close to the edge, it disappointed him that she wasn't over it yet. Pam urged him to kiss and suck on her breasts and directed the hand that was still at her opening. She helped him get her over the peak. He was gratified when her body convulsed and shuddered under him.

The two relaxed on the floor, silently admiring one another. Just when he thought it couldn't get any better it did. He had a vague recollection of earlier events and was happy to keep it at bay. Tony could forget nearly anything when he was with her.

* * *

The wolf woke when the alarm rang. He got up and prepared for his shift. Tony ate breakfast as Betty-Ann arrived. She said "hello," and sat in the living room.

Betty-Ann appeared to want to say something. She kept looking at Tony is if to speak. Tony wasn't sure that he wanted to know what was on her mind, but was getting tired of the looks he was receiving. He asked her what was on her mind. Betty-Ann said that she'd heard about the fight in the woods. That Tony's blond vampire had saved him. She didn't say anything about the blood exchange maybe that had been edited out. _She must smell it though._ The story was just too incredible to believe.

Alcide had told the pack that all members were to act friendly with the area five vamps. When some members voiced their unwillingness, the pack master reminded them of how the situation got started. Alcide also mentioned that a couple of vampires intervened in a Were/human fight, siding with the Weres. Their assistance helped two members of the Shreveport pack to survive. She looked at him with wide eyes. Even with the pack master having said it, it was difficult to believe.

Tony left for his guard duty with the duffel in his hand, happy that at least the pack master could see through all the shit that so many Weres believed about the undead. He tried to hold onto that, the way that his son was with Pam, and the way he felt with Pam; and tried not to dwell on his parents' reaction.

He greeted Pam with a kiss and said "morning" to Bubba. Bubba was heading back to Tennessee after his day sleep. His expertise was required there. _What could Bubba do better than the average vamp?_ Pam mentioned how fortuitous it was that he had been called away as more outsiders were taking a shine to the area. Not all vampires knew that Bubba was still walking, many didn't have a clue. Only a couple of Weres knew about Bubba. Bubba was a secret, for the good of others as well as himself. The fewer people that saw him, the fewer questions would be asked and the less likely of him being called by his living name and going berserk. _Fortuitous his ass; someone made that change happen._

The two vampires went to their day locations. Tony resumed his morning post. The morning dragged a bit. He went on alert when a UPS delivery truck came into her driveway, but nothing of interest happened. Eric had bought something for Sookie.

He went on alert again when someone else came on to her property. This person checked her water meter and made a notation on his stack of papers. _Crap._ The meter reader smelled and then saw Tony. The meter reader was from Hotshot. Tony had seen him at Merlotte's with the other panthers. He seemed to be one of Jason's buddies. Both sides were hoping to keep the panthers out of it, but if this panther said something about a wolf being in Sookie's woods, they'd know it wasn't for hunting. _They weren't stupid. _The panther nodded to Tony and left the property.

Tony didn't get to speak to Sookie. She was full of activity all day. She was preparing for something or someone. His shift ended when Darrell showed up.

He trotted to the tree that held his duffel and changed into his human form. Tony checked his cell phone for messages. There was one from Alcide. He was to call back when he was two-legged again.

Tony called Alcide and walked to the Herveaux House. Alcide was calling for a meeting of his top Shreveport Weres. They were to meet at Sookie's house tonight at eight. Eric Northman called for a meeting of his top vampires there too. If the two groups were going to appear to be amicable, they needed to work out some things.

Tony was not in the upper echelon of Were politics and didn't wish to be, he was invited because of his relationship with Pam. Since Pam was Eric's number two, she was there in both capacities. Both parties could share a unique perspective with their people.

The Were suspected that Sookie had something in mind. _It was at her house after all._ Having the meeting in her home was probably the closest thing to having it in neutral territory. Since she was bonded to the sheriff of area five, it could be considered vampire territory; but the home belonged to the human and the Were leader held her in high regard. There was also the additional security of the witches'' charms.

Betty-Ann stayed at the house and ate dinner with the Herveaux boys. Alcide had told her that a sitter would be needed that night, so that they could have a meeting in Bon Temps. The young wolf went out after dinner to meet with some new friends. She'd come back in time for Tony to leave for the meeting.

Pam came over while Betty-Ann was away. There was no hanky panky. Both were anxious about the meeting tonight. Vampires and Weres held meetings to discuss hostile acts, or alleged crimes perpetrated by a member of the other group. They did not meet for the purpose of being friendly, forming bonds or any non-urgent matter. Vampires and Weres were frequently near one another, but it was always for a specific purpose and they rarely spoke to one another. Weres that had day jobs protecting vampire nests, always stayed far from where the protected vamps rested; and they only spoke to the vamps if there had been a problem during the day. In the past the two camps had only spoken of hostilities and conducted business, tonight was going into new territory. Pam and Tony left for the meeting when Betty-Ann returned to the house.

Sookie was playing hostess. She had set the dining room table as a buffet. Most of the table had soda, beer, and munchies. At one end she had a chocolate fountain that someone had given her for Christmas. She re-purposed the fountain, and it was flowing with warm True Blood.

The supernatural people converged. Had they been wearing the right costume, some might think that they were doing a production of "West Side Story." The Jets were on one side and the Sharks were on the other. When a Jet went to the Shark side of the room, all Jets noticed. _Okay, maybe it wasn't __**that**__ bad._

In an effort to present a united front, both teams needed to meet and learn the faces and scents of the other team members. They also had to lay down some ground rules. Furthermore, if they were to be "friendly," they needed to spend time with one another socially. Some of the vampires would spend time with the Shreveport pack; they would go on a hunt with the group, they would go to the local bars with their hosts, and they would attend gatherings with their hosts. The Weres would do the same types of things and stay with a host. The penalty for fighting with members of the other team would be high, the terms of which were agreed to between the pack master and the sheriff.

The Shreveport pack and area five vampires already had a better relationship than most of their counterparts in other regions of Louisiana; and now they had some real motivation to help make it even better. The groups drank blood and snacked, and still eyed each other. Sookie knew most of the vampires present, and a good number of the Weres. She took the lead in introductions. She knew a vampire named Enrique enjoyed watching American football and basketball. Sookie also knew a Were named Julio that hadn't found a sport he didn't like. She introduced the two sports fanatics, who both also spoke Spanish which was not too common in the areas that either one lived.

Soon, all the supes were paired with someone. Not that there were so many inside the house. Most of the wolf pack and nest mates were elsewhere; this meeting was for the higher ups. The leaders needed to set the example. Before long, the supes were yearning to do what so many supes loved to do when they weren't fighting; they wanted to play a game. They were thinking of American Football.

Sookie pulled the two leaders aside and shared her thought that a competitive sport might not be the best thing just yet. Even if each team had vamps and Weres, one group might blame the other for their team losing; and one team would lose. If the groups went to Merlotte's they could play pool, throw darts or even dance and practice playing nice in public. It probably was a good idea to do a kind of dress rehearsal. Also, Merlotte's had more space than her home did.

Pam, Tony, Sookie, Eric and Alcide were each asked the same question: "What can I talk to a vampire/Were about?" Each person had pretty much the same answer: "Pretend that you cannot sense the other beings nature. Ask him/her questions that you would ask a human that you just met (_and weren't in the position to glamour_)."

The Weres and vampires entered Merlotte's a little after eleven. Some of human patrons recognized the some of the arrivals as vampires, and a couple of humans recognized a couple of Weres for what they were. Word spread in a whisper among the humans. Of course, the supes heard every word. Jason and Dwight sat at the bar. Jason had his arm around a leggy brunette when the United Supes of Shreveport entered.

The groups took up a few tables and were careful to not sit with only their own kind. When the pool table became available a group of four supes went over and started a game. Enrique and Julio went to the dart board. Somehow the vampire had never learned to play. Julio explained the rules to him, in Spanish. This resulted in Enrique criticizing his Spanish. Eric was quick to intervene and the argument over who spoke proper Spanish was dropped. Jason's date wanted to dance. The panther dropped some coins into a juke box and began dancing with his date. Tony went to Pam, grabbed her hand and silently invited her to dance. Jason didn't seem shocked by the vampire/Were dance, but Dwight did. The other supes feigned that the pairing was normal. _No doubt many of them wanted to gawk too._

The end of the night went well. All parted on good terms even if no one had met a lifelong friend.

The evening ended late and Tony had guard duty in the morning. Pam returned to the Herveaux House with him. Gordon was sleeping. Betty-Ann slept on the sofa bed in the living room. There was a strong smell of garlic in the air, coming from Betty-Ann's location. _Was she wearing silver too?_ Weres could wear silver when in human form. It was not normal Were behavior.

* * *

The next morning was fairly normal. Pam woke him up, and he got ready for his guard work. Betty-Ann woke to the smell of the coffee that he brewed. He made breakfast and ate. Betty-Ann wasn't hungry yet, she wanted to eat with Gordon when he woke. Pam and Tony left for Sookie's and parted once they had arrived.

The hours guarding Sookie were as uneventful as usual. Sookie received a phone call. Amelia. It sounded like she might be coming back to Bon Temps soon. Sookie told her that she had a lot of errands to run before sundown. She and Eric tended to get carried away when they were alone, she better get the stuff done before he woke. Sookie planned to leave after lunch. She had a late night, as usual, and needed to do some things inside before heading out. Eric had someone guarding her twenty-four seven, the wolf on the job at that time would just have to deal with her going out for a bit. Sookie confirmed next Saturday for something and then hung up. The lagging hours continued until Todd showed up.

Tony changed form and informed Todd of Sookie's plan to go run some errands. He thought Todd should know. In his non-verbal way, Todd thanked Tony for the information. Human form Tony walked through the woods to his hanging duffel bag and then put on his clothes.

As he neared the house he saw a black Hummer parked in front of the house. Betty-Ann was talking to a pale, very tall, very muscular man, with a hair line in the shape of a "U" around his head. She was explaining to the man that the Herveaux Construction House office was not running yet as a business, it was in the process of being set-up. The man turned his head to face Tony when he heard Tony's footsteps. Tony knew his face. This pale man was no vampire, he was a Were. From the looks of it, an albino Were. The Were introduced himself as Jensen. Jensen was in a number of photos on Queen Levana's website. Based on pictures, one would have guessed him to be a vampire. Interesting that Jensen was not in any day pictures. _Maybe his skin was too fair?_

Jensen claimed to be looking into moving to Bon Temps. Word had it that Herveaux Construction was the word on buildings, did the company work with a Realtor? Were there any available properties to look at?

Tony knew this to be an exploratory mission for the queen. He answered all the questions asked and even gave him a business card. Then he said that the Construction house was his home while things got going. The home was a popular model and would serve as a model home for potential customers.

He invited Jensen into the "closed" office space since he was a fellow Were and what not, and even offered him a beer. Jensen's eyes widened as he smelled the air inside. Vampires. One in particular had been in the bedrooms too. When Jensen looked into the master bathroom he stealthily sniffed the purple toothbrush. A vampire spent a lot of time here to keep a toothbrush in the bathroom.

As any Were would have noticed the vampire scents, Tony acknowledge it head on. He informed Jensen that the Shreveport supernatural community was unified. When Jensen gave him a knowing look, Tony then said that he was very close to a particular vamp. _Jensen could take that to believe what he would._

Jensen thanked Tony for the information and his hospitality and left the house.

Tony returned to the kitchen to play the answering machine. Gordy and Betty-Ann were at the park when the call came in. Mère and Père couldn't believe that Alcide was asking his pack to host vampires, and asking some members to be hosted by vampires. Had Alcide gone mad? They had planned to stay a few more days in Louisiana, but they just weren't comfortable staying in that part of Shreveport if vampires were going to be there too.

He called his home in Shreveport and spoke with his father. If they weren't comfortable staying, he understood and wouldn't ask them to stay any longer. His parents were fishing for another reaction, he was sure. The one they got didn't give them much opportunity for argument.

The rest of the day was relatively normal. Tony and Gordy rode bikes, played wolf-back ride and kicked a ball in the back yard. Gordy had a restful nap; he'd had more of them recently. About an hour after they ate dinner, Pam showed up to the house.

Tony and Pam were going on another very public date. Gordon was going to Claire's house and would have friends to play with. Two nephews were visiting.

Pam and Tony two went to see a musical, "The King and I." Later they went to a dinner near the theater. Pam listed all the things that she admired about the king and then stated how she'd tear him apart if he'd dare speak to her in such a way… The smell of all those children was rather intense. There weren't nearly as many in the in stage production as the real life king had actually had. Talk about temptation.

After their late night meal at the diner the two strolled through a small park. They met up with Todd and Thalia of all people. The sound of a muffled scream rose on the air from about a block away.

The wolves raised their noses. Another wolf was in the area, and it was attacking a human. They could smell the blood. The two wolves ran off to investigate. A teen lay on the side of a street, bleeding. A large wolf loomed over the body, claiming it as his prey.

This wolf was an outsider, not of the Shreveport pack; and he was rogue. Todd and Tony both warned him with their wolf-ways. The new wolf did not have hunting rights in the area. The new wolf moved his head to take a bite out of the teen. Tony and Todd jumped him. The new Were was dead in short order. They walked to the teen.

The scrawny teenager was shaking and watching the big wolves with fright in his eyes. The wolves approached slowly, they didn't want him to think that they would eat him. The kid needed medical help. Tony could smell the plastic and metal that was a cell phone in the pocket of the teen. He would turn back and call nine one one.

The teens face whitened and his eyes widened as he saw Tony turn back to his human self. Tony used a quiet voice to reassure the young man that he and his friend meant no harm. They'd come to help. Tony took out the young man's cell phone and told him that he needed medical treatment. Before he opened the phone, his body went tense again. Three more wolves joined the scene. They snarled at Tony, Todd and the human. The wolves charged.

The wolf running straight for Tony didn't make it to him. Pam broke his neck before he even got close. Tony jumped on the one gunning for the human; he changed form as he wrestled with his opponent. Thalia jumped on and bit the Were attacking Todd. Tony kicked his opponent with such force that a claw tore him open, the opponent collapsed immediately. He'd bleed to death in a few minutes. The other Were met a similar fate; bitten and drained by a vampire while he was gouged by a wolf's claws.

The Weres smelled their defeated opponents. None smelled familiar, none looked familiar either. They changed back to human form as the life left their bodies.

Tony and Todd cleaned up the supernatural evidence, while Pam glamoured the teenager, Chris. Thalia picked up the cell phone that had been dropped when Tony changed back into a wolf, and called for an ambulance. Chris would think that a bobcat had attacked him; it needed to be an animal with fangs if doctors were going to see evidence of it. The poor kid would have to endure rabies injections and the Game and Wildlife rangers would be on alert for a rabid cat. The two Weres took off before the humans arrived, they weren't dressed for human company.

A short time later, the four met up again near the Herveaux House. Thalia couldn't believe that she was in a fight with a Were, and not just _against one_, but fighting with one. Todd was amazed that for a second time, a vamp actually fought to help someone. _First him, a Were and now a human._ Todd was beginning to rethink what he had thought about the undead, but then reminded himself that they are supposed to pretend to be one unit. Whatever the cause, all four had a good time. Both groups liked to fight and tonight they fought together.


	18. The Bond

(18) The Bond

Tony had the day off from guarding Sookie. Darrell had his time slot today. Tonight, some Weres would meet with their new "vampire friends." Betty-Ann was back in Shreveport. Gordy played with a toy car. Tony cleaned the construction house. A vehicle pulled up to the house.

Jason Stackhouse knocked. Tony greeted him, knowing that Jason was on a fact finding mission. He told Jason that the Bon Temps office would not be open for business until sometime after the basement was finished; they were renovating. Jason got right to the point, "You all are still guarding my sister. Why? With Sandra gone and all, I'd think things oughtta be better than they were."

The Were took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sandra was in tight with some people that will come looking for her."

"You mean the Vampire Queen's people? Don't they know she's dead? Well, ur, dust?" Jason hadn't attended the trial, he was missing quite a bit of information that Sookie had conveniently left out.

"Yes. Queen Levana's people." Tony didn't want to say too much, but he felt bad for the guy. He was in the dark. Sookie didn't tell him what was going on, and he was worried about her.

His pride was wounded. "She shoulda told me. She's my own sister. Why didn't she tell me? Sookie's all I've got left... I'm gonna watch her during the day. I don' care if she likes it or not. She can't just..."

"Jason, we've got it. She's not in immediate danger and you have a day job." Jason was giving him an incredulous look. "Look, I know you care for your sister; but she'll just worry about you getting hurt or losing your job."

"You're right." Jason straightened himself. "I ain't no full panther neither. But I wanna do what I can. That's what I'm gonna do. I'll be here as much as possible after work and I'll need to tell Calvin an' them what's going on too."

_Oh fuck._ "Jason, you don't need to bring the Pride into this. The panthers have nothing to do with what is going on."

His mind was set. "They do now. Soon as Calvin realizes I'm spending so much time with her, he'll know something is up and then get pissed that I didn't tell him. I'm part of the pride; I've to tell him what's goin' on."

Tony was inwardly cursing. Weres didn't care for outside help. Not that he blamed Jason for wanting to protect his sister. He'd have to call Alcide and tell him of the panthers' pending involvement.

Two things happened simultaneously as the two men stood in the threshold of the Herveaux House; Gordy came up to ask his Daddy if he could have a snack and the phone rang. Tony motioned to Jason to come inside as he went to answer the phone and pulled out a snack for Gordy. Caller ID showed that the caller was Alcide.

Gordy smelled Jason and asked him what he was. Jason was taken back for a moment, and then it dawned on him that the boy could smell that he was different. Jason told Gordy that he was a panther. Gordy thought that was cool. He liked cats even though most cats ran away when he came near.

Alcide said that Tony needed to know the vampires and Weres were having an extravaganza in Shreveport. They had rented a banquet hall and all Shreveport Weres and vampires were expected to attend. Each person was expected to remain for at least two of the six hours. Dress wouldn't be formal, but jeans would be too casual. Weres could dress to kill when they dressed for a formal event, but they didn't do it often and doing so required planning. Vampire affairs were often very formal and no one in that camp had to worry about weight gain when trying on an old outfit, not to mention the fact that most dead people had many more outfits to choose from. This would be a compromise of sorts. The Weres would wear something nicer than their beloved jeans, t-shirts and biker regalia; and the vampires would wear something less formal than a tuxedo or a ball gown. Betty-Ann, her cousin Susie, her Aunt Ursula and her Uncle Bill would watch the pack's pups. Tony could drop Gordy at Ursula and Bill's and drive over with Betty-Ann. Betty-Ann had a later pup-sitting shift.

Tony went to the kitchen and continued his way outside to speak with Alcide about the panthers' involvement in guarding Sookie. Alcide was not delighted, nor was he surprised. The last thing he wanted was to worry about a panther getting hurt because of a pack issue. Not much could be done about it though. On the plus side, the panthers could already attest to the unique vampire/Werewolf relations in area five should any outsider come poking around.

The Were returned to the inside of the house after he hung up the phone. Gordy asked Jason if he knew how to make Oobleck. Aunt Sookie made Oobleck for him and it was fun to play with. Jason had no clue what the pup was asking about.

Darrell strode into the house saying that he had thought he smelled a panther. One look at Jason and he shut his mouth. The panther was in the room. Tony silently asked Darrell about Sookie. Darrell caught on and answered. "Sookie is at work. Guess we'll see her in Shreveport, huh?"

Jason looked at the two Weres. "What's in Shreveport?"

"A party." Darrell answered. Tony shot him a look. _What the hell was wrong with him? Jason Stackhouse was a party animal, this was not something he was invited to._ Darrell amended, "it's commemorating the first joint battle of the Shreveport pack with area five vampires against a common enemy."

"You guys were part of that too?" Jason was upset all over again. "It kills me that my own sister didn't tell me that fairies were out to kill her. She never did tell me what happened to Dermot. Is he dead?"

Now it was the werewolves turn to be shocked. Fairies? _More than one was involved?_ They didn't know the details about Sookie's latest assassination attempt. Things were a bit clearer now. Sookie was very reclusive for a while and hardly talked to anyone outside of the necessities after she'd survived a relatively recent attack. Whatever battle had taken place, it was Tray's last.

Tray was on a pack assignment, guarding Sookie when he died. Alcide would have known who was after her. No wonder Alcide was so pissed after Tray died. He should have had more wolves on duty. Tray would not have been killed and Sookie would not have been so scared and damaged. _He was a new pack leader at the time and did what he thought was warranted. It could have resulted in more deaths for the pack._

Fairies could be the cruelest of beings ever known; just as they could be the kindest, most caring beings. The wolves had met Claudine briefly during the Were war. Claudine was a good fairy charged to protect Sookie. _Where was Claudine during the fairy war?_ Two fairies, Lochlan and Neave, were legendary for their ruthlessness. Tony hoped to God that Sookie hadn't met up with them. _Of course she hadn't. If she had, she'd be dead. Or in a mental institution. Nah, she'd be dead._

"Dermot wouldn't be the one that looks like you would he?" Alcide had once warned some Weres of a fairy that looked human. The human in question was actually a bitten werepanther. The wolves on duty were to be extra cautious because the form was so similar to Sookie's brother that Sookie might have just let him in to kill her. Tray was on duty for most of the time back then. Tony only spent a few hours here and there guarding Sookie. He never saw Jason or anyone looking like Jason.

"Yeah. I met him once. He's actin' weird too." Jason shook his head at the memory. He then informed the wolves that he'd spend some time at Merlotte's watching over Sookie. The were was a bit suspicious when the Weres didn't protest, but he left without another word.

If a bitten wereanimal is going to protect someone, let it be at a place like Merlotte's. The owner is one serious shifter. Sam Merlotte may not be a Were, but he was a true shifter. The shifter was an excellent fighter and had the respect of the entire Shreveport pack, that was rare for a non-pack member. Tony remembered seeing Sam during the Were War; he tore off those heads like nobody's business. _There was nothing wrong with Jason adding a small layer of protection._

A few friends and business colleagues appeared. They brought in blow torches, grabbed some materials from under the tarp in the back and headed for the basement. Today was Day One of the actual construction of the safe room. Before starting, Tony spoke with his pack mates about some of the details. He left the trio to begin their part of the work. The Were was certain that his friends were looking at him funny as he walked up the stairs; he was the One dating a vampire.

Tony made lunch and all werewolves ate it outside. The inside was not so clean once lunchtime came around. Todd stopped in while Tony made lunch and stayed to eat too. One of the trio asked Todd how he'd already gotten partnered off with a vampire. Near as he could figure, it was 'cause the meeting was in Bon Temps. Todd was not high up in the Were hierarchy; but he didn't live far from Bon Temps so that must have been a factor. Another asked about vampires; all three wanted to know more about them before having to spend time with the bloodsuckers.

Gordy was off and running. "Auntie Pam is a vampire and I like her." He loved Auntie Pam. Auntie Pam was good to Daddy. Daddy's vampire would go after anyone that tried to hurt his Daddy or him, she had told him so. Auntie told really good stories too. She told him the Story of the Seven Ravens. Did they want to hear it? _Too bad if they didn't, Gordon reiterated it nearly verbatim. _

The werewolf papa was actually a bit relieved. His son was doing a great job by them, allaying many of their suspicions about vampires. He could see the shift in their body language as Gordy spoke. At first, they were speechless upon hearing a pup call a vampire "auntie" and that he loved her. By the time Gory stopped extolling all of Pam's goodness, they had nearly forgotten she wasn't a Were.

After lunch, Gordy went down for his nap as the wolves resumed work in the basement. Tony closed the door to Gordy's room to help muffle the sounds coming from the basement. Luckily Gordy was still able to sleep. Tony went outside to pull weeds; Todd came too and helped with the chore.

The buddies worked quietly for a time, allowing his mind to wander. Tony couldn't help but think of last night. Thalia, Todd, Pam and Tony had all met up at the Herveaux House had a beer or blood. Thalia and Todd left shortly after finishing their liquids. He and Pam stayed in for a while longer before leaving to pick up Gordy from the sitter.

They'd had a magnificent time together. Being with Pam was indescribable, just thinking about being with her brought a huge smile to his face. He still thought that something was different between them, but couldn't quite place is finger on it. It wasn't different in a negative way. Or, at least, it didn't seem to be negative. It seemed, if anything, beneficial. What bothered him was that he couldn't figure out what had changed. He would bring it up when he was alone with her. The drive to Shreveport was perfect. _Oh wait, no. Gordy and Betty-Ann._ Gordy would be in the truck on the way to Shreveport, and Betty-Ann was hitching a ride from her aunt and uncle's to the reception hall. The plan was amended; he would broach the subject after leaving the reception hall.

When Gordy woke he came outside and rode on a bike. After a while, he asked his Daddy if they could wolf-back ride. Tony told his son that he'd like to, but he would have to start dinner soon. They were going to eat dinner early tonight so that everything could be cleaned up and they'd be ready to leave once the sun went down. Then he said that maybe he could ask Uncle Todd. They could wolf-back ride while he cooked.

Uncle Todd had given wolf back rides before, to many of the pack's pups. Including Gordon. Todd went to the back side of the house and changed into his second nature. When Gordon saw him, he looked conflicted. Todd knelt down and did a doggy whine. Gordon started to smile. Next, Todd rolled onto his back and wriggled kicking his legs up in the air. Gordon started laughing and called him "silly." Todd rolled back onto his stomach and waited for Gordon to approach. Gordon walked up to the wolf and hugged his neck before getting on.

The construction crew left for pizza while Tony cooked. They needed to eat early too as all three had to put in at least two hours tonight at the reception hall. They would be back the next day, and the day after that and so on until the job was done.

The fifteen minute ride in the woods behind the Herveaux House ended with the signal to come in for dinner. They were having a spiced meat and... Gordon made a face when he smelled Brussels sprouts. Daddy had never made this meal for him before. The mixture wasn't as bad as Gordy thought it'd be, but he wasn't going to ask to have it for leftovers either. Todd seemed to like it. He told Tony he'd make a good wife. Tony gave his buddy a playful punch to the arm.

They sat and watched the news as the sun sunk below the horizon. Ten minutes after sundown, Pam arrived at the house to be greeted by Gordy, Todd and Tony. Pam asked the mostly rhetorical question, "How was your day?" Tony said that it was "fine" and that the construction had begun on the safe room. Todd added that the construction workers had asked them about vampires at lunch, and that Gordy made her sound like Saint Pam. Tony was proud of his son and felt a surge of pride as Todd mentioned how good a PR man Gordy was at only four years of age. _There it was again. Her facial expression was different, more expressive._ She caught him looking at her. He didn't hide that he was looking; he adjusted his gaze to admire her whole form. _He'd do that anyway._ She gave him an odd look. _This was crazy. What was going on?_ He was determined to find out soon, when no one else was near. Pam's face made yet another small change as she looked at him. Tony rubbed his head and metaphorically shook it off. There was no need to dwell on the weirdness right now. They had a gathering to attend.

Pam had brought clothes with her. She beckoned Tony to follow her to the master bedroom. She closed the door behind him. "I bought something for you. I hope you like it." She handed him the hanger of clothes that was wrapped in plastic. He opened it to find a designer suit. It was a black suit with purple accents. Tony was not sure what he thought of this development. The suit was nice for sure, but the last woman to pick out clothes for him had had him under her spell. Pam said, "We like to give things to our living mates. Much of it is to please the mate, but there is also another consideration." She looked at him. "It is a way of showing others of my kind that you are..."

"Yours?" He smiled.

She nodded and added, "And how valued you are."

Tony couldn't help but smile to himself. Why else did men buy so many gifts for women? _So men could metaphorically claim the women and prove to them that they could __**provide**__ and the women_ _could show off what their men provided_. Evidently this concept was strong among vampires, with all vampires being the "provider". So it was with the wolves.

He chuckled softly and Pam asked him what he was thinking. Tony didn't respond. Instead, he went to a closet and pulled out another hanger that was covered in plastic. "I saw this and thought of you." She opened it to reveal a deep green sleeveless dress with a V neck. Pam said that she thought the green dress would be even better for the night's occasion than what she had on.

The two changed clothes and then looked at themselves, standing side by side in a mirror. They looked great together. Tony did all he could not to drool at the sight of Pam in the dress he had bought for her. Then he remembered the shoes. _Should he tell her that he got her shoes too?_ Pam looked at him as if she expected something. He kissed her. "When I saw that dress, I wasn't looking for it. I was looking for something else I know you're real fond of." She tilted her head as he pulled away. He pulled out a shoe box. Manolo Blahnik shoes. They were black and gorgeous. She tried them on and found them to be very comfortable. Pam had a new pair of favorite pumps. Tony leered at her, imagining the two of them together with her shoes on and the dress wrapped around her waist. A wave of lust hit him and he did all he could to not throw her on the bed. She opened the bedroom door and then turned and gave him a wicked smile before walking out. She shimmied her hips for his benefit, and torture.

The couple got into Pam's car along with Gordon and Uncle Todd. About twenty minutes into the drive, Todd was dropped off at his own home where he would change out of his jeans and Mötley-Crüe shirt. One of his friends on the construction crew had his vehicle and would come by soon. Todd and the construction crew would all meet them at the hall in just a few hours.

Before the car stopped in Shreveport, Gordy was jumping up and down. He could smell his friends. They stopped at a very large ranch home with a fenced in back yard. Many play structures were in the back yard; swing sets, monkey bars, a basketball hoop at less than half the normal height, etc. The front yard was manicured and had a sign "Pups Shreveport School." During the day, Ursula and a handful of other Weres ran a preschool for the packs pups. When the car stopped Gordy got out and raced to greet his friends. Ursula and Bill waved "hello."

Betty-Ann came out to the car wearing a yellow and white dress that accentuated her bust. She looked good. Tony didn't want to think about her looking good, he had a girl. She was right next to him. He stole a peek at her, she saw. She looked at him funny. _Again? Was it in his mind?_ He would get to the bottom of this before the sun came up. That was his goal. Well, it was one of his goals. The other one, he couldn't think of too much or he might just fuck Pam in public.

Betty-Ann was not thrilled to be riding in a vampire's car. She thought she'd be riding in Tony's truck. Tony realized this and kept his mouth shut. _How did she think he would fit so many passengers in his truck? Make them get windblown by riding in the bed?_

The car pulled into the parking area at ten minutes to seven. Betty-Ann got out and Pam said that they would meet her inside in a few minutes. After Betty-Ann disappeared from view and was near the noise coming from the building (thereby making snooping via ears difficult), Pam stared Tony in the eye. "You have something to say to me?"

_This was unexpected._ "Yes. I am..." he began. How should he ask her? She didn't do anything wrong. Pam has just been acting different lately. He didn't want her to think he was accusing her of anything, which is a good reason for him to not talk to any of his pack mates about whatever he'd noticed. Many of them would be quick to accuse her of something. "I can't help but notice, no think, that something is different... it isn't bad, but it's different and not knowing what it is is driving me nuts."

She put her hands on his face studying him, "something really is bothering you." He pointed and said that what she just did was the kind of thing that he was trying to talk about. It was like she really did know that it was bothering him, as if he'd written it in a journal or something. "Oh. Sorry. I should have explained. You have had my blood." He nodded his head and waited to hear more. "My blood is in you. If ever you need help I can track you." He felt a pang of panic. "You think that I would track you down and kill you after you have saved my ass and knowing how fond I am of you?"

"No. Of course not. But what of other vampires? Is it easier for them to track me too?"

"No. Only I can track you." He was relieved at this. Her face softened a bit. "The other vampires can sense that you have fed on a vampire and will see you as _mine_." He still didn't get the connection between her tracking abilities and the weird stuff he'd noticed. He was still a bit confused. She said, "I know how you're feeling." Now he was even more confused. "I feel what you feel. Right before I walked out of the bedroom tonight, you were lustful. I felt that."

"When did..." he thought for a moment. "When you healed me. You have been able to read my feelings since then?" She said "yes." He wasn't sure what he thought of this information. Tony shouldn't feel apprehensive for whatever feelings he had, everyone had them. Now Pam knew what he was feeling, even if it wasn't something he wanted to feel. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"As I have said, I am real fond of you. After the bond, I came to know with certainty how fond you are of me." She stuck her chin out a bit. "This bond does not give me any power over you. I cannot compel you to do anything... but it is still a frightening concept for most living creatures. I enjoy feeling your feelings."

That is why the sex has been so much farther off the charts. He felt a surge of lust thinking about their last romp. Was there anything really to be afraid of? Not really, he didn't see it that way. It's not like she was telepathic. The biggest problem might be if he had to hide something from her because it was a pack matter. She understood about secrecy though. He chuckled.

"You seem to be handling this fairly well." She said right before she kissed him.

"A person can't well control his feelings. He can only control what he does about them. As for knowing what those feelings are, I imagine that now you have something else to talk to Sookie about. She can read my feelings too. She has to touch me to get a clear thought... but you know that. Though there was one time that she seemed to pick it up..."

Pam cut him off and said that she knew Sookie could read a two-natured's thoughts if he or she thought with the purpose of letting her in on the message. Then she said that she was very happy that he was okay with this. Was there anything else he wanted to discuss? He said "no." Pam reminded him that she knew what he was feeling. He just lied to her.

He let out a deep sigh. "Okay, yes. There is one other item, but I think it can wait for another time." Tony was thinking of a bedroom and her underneath him; watching her body writhe as he pounded her.

Pam's eyes narrowed to slits. "Your libido just shot up. It's a sex thing. I'll be sure to ask about it later, when we can enjoy each other carnally."

The two got out of the car and started toward the building. Tony breathed in the night air. There was a variety of Were and vampire scents hanging in the air. The Were abruptly stopped walking. His body got very tense and anxious. Pam asked him what the problem was. He responded, "My parents are here."

Tony was certain that his parents would never entreat a vampire. Nor would they ever wish to be in the presence of one. His parents lived in Texas now, not Shreveport. They should have returned home yesterday. Instead, they were somewhere in this building filled with werewolves and vampires.

Pam studied him for a moment. "Perhaps your parents are willing to try or at least pretend to be okay with vampires."

He let out a puff of air, "From your mouth to god's ears."

Pam found the little saying amusing. She took Tony's proffered hand in a very human PDA. They resumed walking into the building.

Once inside, they followed the signs to the reception hall. "Herveaux/Northman Enterprise" was up on the third floor. Upon exiting the elevator, they went through a security check. Then they had to check in at a desk. There were two desks; one for Weres and one for vamps.

Tony had just stepped up to the desk that his friend Larry manned when a crashing sound echoed from the hall. It was followed by a loud thud. His father screamed in anger. _Oh fuck!_ Tony ran into the hall.


	19. NorthmanHerveaux Enterprise

(19) Northman/Herveaux Enterprise

Père Herveaux was held by three Shreveport Weres. Alcide addressed him. "Go outside Uncle Frank. Cool off. I'll meet you outside." Now his gaze turned a bit and he looked very much like a pack master. "If you cannot control yourself, you will leave Shreveport." Tony's papa nodded his acquiescence and left the hall. Two Weres followed him after receiving silent orders from the leader.

The vampires all looked to Eric. Eric looked amused. Amused and annoyed. Pam asked her maker if there was anything to be worried about. He replied that what happened was nothing of consequence. To say that it was important, would be to undermine their efforts to have a Were/vampire collaboration.

All supes returned to their conversations while Alcide and Tony walked out of the hall.

Once out of the hall, and in the elevator heading down Tony asked, "What's going on?" Alcide replied that his parents had expressed interest in moving back to Shreveport. Prior to current events, the Herveaux's would have been more than welcome. But they had to prove that they could suck it up and play nice with the vampires. Times were changing, they needed to also. Tony started to walk outside with Alcide but Alcide bid him stay inside. Tony was not there for his father's tirade, he should not be there when the leader spoke to him about it. _Sometimes being the low man on the totem-pole sucked. _Not that he would have _wanted _to deal with his father.

Tony headed back up to the hall. It was elegant on its' own. With the right decor, it could be stunning. Five large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A number of tables each with six chairs were dotted around the room. There were two blood fountains; one on each buffet table. Some of the vamps commented on the blood, the sheriff must have sprung for something tastier than True Blood. A number of pack mates commented on the food, the choicest cuts of meat that practically melted in your mouth. A disc jockey played a variety of music.

Sookie left Eric's side and came over to say "hello" to Tony. They spoke for a few minutes. Her brother came into Merlotte's earlier while she was working. Normally that didn't bother her, but she knew what he was up to. If anything bad were to happen, she'd feel awful if he got hurt or worse. He was her "only family." "Living blood relative," she amended after a silent exchange with her undead husband. The telepath headed for another group of people.

Aside from Pam, the only people that he knew well were his pack mates. The purpose of this get together was to mingle, so that both sides could begin to come to a new arrangement of sorts. Tony decided to talk to Thalia. He wondered what she thought of the out of town Weres that they had fought. He looked around the room. She was clear across the room from where he was. _And Sookie too._

He walked toward Thalia. She looked like she was brooding. Thalia was not thrilled to spend her night in a reception hall. Tony became aware of his father's presence in the room. Alcide had returned too.

Thalia actually smiled when she saw him approach. "Got any more enemies I can kill?" She eyed Sookie nervously.

"They weren't my enemies. They were after that human kid."

"You know the kid?" Thalia didn't sound like she really cared.

"Never met him before."

Thalia was astonished. "Why risk your life to save him?"

"It is what we do. It is our nature to protect the living." _It's the reason our people have been mortal enemies. _

"So all this time, when a Were attacked a feeding vamp it was to protect the human?" He nodded. She continued. "We thought you attacked because you wanted to snag our prey."

Pam came up to them. "You know, even before True Blood we didn't kill every human we fed from. Few of us killed a human after the first few years. If we had, there would have been many more corpses and a trail too big to hide."

"And now the little fangers can drink True Blood so they won't go around killing people out of their blood lust as long as they keep a supply around." Thalia stated with some distaste. This little vampire was all about the blood.

Pam laced her fingers with his and pulled him to follow her. She stopped when they reached two vampire men. One was a hefty man, slightly shorter than Eric and much wider. The hefty man was built like a sumo wrestler; he even had the dark hair pulled into a tail at the back of his head. The companion was about the same height, but looked small in contrast. The thinner man had been an athlete of some kind and was bald. _Did he shave it every day or was he bald when he died?_ He thought about that question very briefly as he glanced at the man's head. Pam noticed. The large man was Iokepa. The athletic looking man was Mischa.

Iokepa and Mischa were both in real estate. They looked for vampire friendly homes for their clients. The men perked up a bit when Pam told them that Tony had conceived of creating a safe room in an existing house.

Tony told them about the first Herveaux built safe room. It had to be built inside the house, rather than be set in as the house was built. Iokepa and Mischa said that was precisely the problem so many encountered. With the economy so bad, few people were having homes built. Older homes made it difficult for a resident vampire to sleep safely during the day. They exchanged business cards. Iokepa and Mischa would come to check out the safe house when it was ready for viewing.

The Were was pleasantly surprised with himself. Prior to meeting Pam, he wouldn't have thought he'd ever have an actual conversation with a vampire. Now, he'd had several.

Pam had left the men to talk, but now she came back and pulled Tony into an open area. An old tune was playing. The couple swayed to the music. She asked Tony what had surprised him, he told her. Then he thought that it could get annoying after a while if she always wanted to know why he felt a certain way. That would have to be another conversation. Right now, they held each other as the swayed to the music.

Sookie commented on how good Tony and Pam looked together. Eric took in his surroundings and then asked Sookie to dance. Pam and Tony didn't know a ball room dance. Eric and Sookie would show them. Sookie told him that it wasn't a competition. The sheriff led his wife to the open area and they began to dance. Their dance was elegant, refined. The crowd broke into applause when they finished; the Weres were much more demonstrative whereas the vampires did a kind of "golf clap."

A salsa began to play. Alcide led Mary-Jo to the dance area. Soon the three couples were joined by two other pairs. Then the Herveaux's started dancing together. Tony just hoped that neither of his parents bumped into, or was bumped by, a vampire. _He could just see it now; new war begins despite Sheriff/pack master efforts._

His parents didn't dance for long before spotting some close family friends; Andre, Teddy, and Jacques. The trio had cleaned up after working in the basement of the Herveaux House and each looked really good. The Herveaux's greeted the men. One of them pointed to Tony and Pam and asked if she was his vampire. Neither Herveaux responded verbally. They didn't like that their son was seeing dead person. The men said that they had heard a lot about Pam and wanted to meet her. Someone asked if Pam was a Were before she was turned. Many vampire heads turned to take in the conversation at that point. The men were curious because she seemed so, Were-like, in Gordy's description. It was hard for them to believe that "Auntie Pam" was a vampire. Mère Herveaux teared up and hurried out of the hall.

Tony caught up to his mother. She didn't know if she could handle any more. Marie was trying to get along with the dead people, but she could hardly stand to be in the same room as them. She was raised to believe that all bloodsuckers were evil, pure evil. His mère didn't know if that was true or not, but the possibility made her worry. She worried about her grandson and her son. That her grandson called one of those vile things "auntie" was beyond imagining. Okay, maybe she wasn't vile. Marie told her son that she wanted to believe that he was right, that not all vampires were evil. His mother just didn't think she could get to that point. She didn't think his father could either.

He hugged his mother as she cried. Tony told her that Pam was not going away; she was the best thing that had happened to him and Gordy in a long time. He appreciated that his mother and father at least tried to spend some time with the vampires, but if it was so bad they should go back to Texas. For them to stay and resent remaining would not be for the good of anyone.

Tony knew that on some level his mother was on a fishing expedition. She hoped that he would dump Pam in favor of his mama. Tony was not going to give on this. It tore him apart to tell his mother that she and his father should go back to Texas. Tony loved his woman, damned if he cared that she was a vampire. _Tony wondered what would be more difficult for a Were family to deal with; a vampire/werewolf relationship like he and Pam had; or a homosexual relationship like the one that Andre and Teddy were in. _

The Were homosexual couple was very much in the closet. Tony had accidentally found out about Andre and Teddy. Tony was scouting an area of woods looking for a building site when he happened to find the amorous couple snogging. _Thank god that was all they were doing._ He wouldn't have wanted to see anything from _any_ type of couple. Homosexuality was not tolerated inside the Were community. If other species were gay, or wanted to be gay, that was fine. But Weres were to be straight. That was all there was to it. Andre and Teddy were on pins and needles for a long time after being caught in the woods. Tony never said a thing.

If Andre and Teddy felt for one another the way that he and Pam felt, then life was very cruel indeed. Tony could not imagine having to hide so much of himself. Now that his mood was severely depressed, he kissed his mother on the cheek and said "goodbye."

The Herveaux's left the building. They would stop by the Pups place and say "goodbye" to Gordy. His parents would leave for Texas when they woke in the morning.

Pam slowly walked to him. She kept her eyes steady on his. He spoke, "I told them that they should go back to Texas." She told him that she had heard that part of the conversation. It bothered her that she didn't know how to make him feel better. Pam was certain that killing his parents wouldn't do it.

They went back inside. He saw Teddy talking to a young female Were, and his mate Andre dancing with another female. They were flirting, sending meaningless signals so that onlookers might think that the bachelors may one day get hitched. Tony didn't know how they did it. Pam asked him what was going on. He simply said that some things weren't for him to tell. Plus, there were many supe ears in the area if he did.

The night was a success. No vampires were staked, and no werewolves were hit with a silver bullet. No one made a new "friend" on the other side of life, but most had at least made an acquaintance.

It was late. Later than Tony had expected to leave. He needed to get Gordy and head back to the Herveaux House if he was going to be awake to watch over the Sheriff's wife in the morning. He bid his pack master and the sheriff "good night." Pam did the same.

The Mercedes pulled up to the house less than ten minutes after they left the hall. William came out and said that Gordy was sleeping. He saw no reason that Tony had to wake his son. Betty-Ann could drive him over to Bon Temps, or his parents if they were headed that way.

"My parents?" He gave pause. "They're going back to Texas first thing in the morning. Didn't they come by to say bye to Gordy?" William shook his head. "They told me they would come here first before heading to our house. Could they have stopped by while you were out?" No. William spent two hours at the hall after Betty-Ann came back. When he left, the Herveaux's were still in the hall. William didn't make any stops on his way back to the house. The Herveaux's hadn't shown.

Pam didn't have to ask. She drove them to his house in Shreveport. Their vehicle was not in the driveway.

Upon entering the house, they found that his parents had packed and taken their belongings. A note was left saying that they could sense Gordy was sleeping when they went by and they did not wish to wake him. One line in the note read, "Please give him a hug and a kiss for us." Tony thought it odd that his parents didn't at least say "goodbye" to William and family. _They were more upset than he thought. _He hoped they weren't too upset to drive.

His cell phone rang. Sookie was staying the night in Shreveport. The early morning shift was covered. Tony told Alcide that taking the shift would not be a burden at all. Gordy was over at the Pup's place, and his parents had already left so Tony was available. Alcide would call if Tony was needed.

Tony walked through his home. It felt empty. He could smell his parents' scent and his son's too. But there were no warm bodies to go with those scents. Mama left some food in the icebox. She had washed the towels and sheets too. One of the overhead lights in the kitchen had a bulb burn out, Papa had replaced it. His papa had changed the air filters too. Evidence of his parents stay were throughout the home. Tony appreciated the things that they did. _Too bad their kind gestures didn't extend far beyond their own kind. _His mood was not getting any better.

Finally he walked into the bedroom and readied for bed. Pam climbed in with him. They didn't talk, or even have sex. The two simply lay together holding each other. Pam gave him a peck on the lips as he drifted off to sleep.

Tony woke a very bright morning. He looked at the time, Gordy might still be asleep. The Were took a shower and got dressed, then ate breakfast. Next, he called Jacques.

The construction trio would be going to the Herveaux House to work in the basement. If Alcide hadn't given them a key, they wouldn't be able to get in. Not to worry, Alcide was sending Darrell over to open it up for them.

Tony hung up the phone and then went through the list of numbers stored in the phone as having been called. He had used the list to relocate Jacques phone number. Now, he wanted to check a number that he didn't recognize. The area code was "609." The time stamp showed that the call was placed about twenty minutes after he had last seen his parents. He had a sinking feeling. Tony fired up the computer and Googled the number. It was the number to Sheraton Atlantic City.

He dialed the number, gave his name as Frank Herveaux and asked to confirm his reservation. He had a reservation for a party of two. His reservation was for three nights, starting tomorrow. He had requested a smoke-free Deluxe Room with a king size bed. Check in was at three. Tony hung up the phone.

It was not possible to call his parents. They didn't own a cell phone. He couldn't leave a message at whatever hotel they would stay in tonight; he didn't know what route they were taking. What could he say anyway? _That they were out of their fucking minds?_ This was too much. No way was this a coincidence. They were going to take this too far.

Tony punched a wall, creating a hole that he'd have to patch. _Great. Just fucking great._

He called Alcide and told him what he knew. Tony couldn't believe his parents were doing this. _What did they plan to do?_ _Didn't they know that the vampires had the Jersey wolves in their back pocket? _Alcide said that he suspected they were up to something. They're being trailed. Tony was too close to this. Tony had to back off. Tony didn't want to back off, but he knew it was for the best. Whenever he felt the need to get involved, he'd remind himself that the pack master was the one to tell him to stay away from it.

The Were call Pup's place and talked to Ursula Pupp. Gordy was having a great time. His son went to a preschool in New Jersey. Until his mother was sentenced to death. He had visited this one before, but never attended. It was good that he liked it. Ursula said that there was room for his enrollment. There was always room for pack members. Ursula said that they could talk about it more after school. At the moment, William and Susie were playing soccer with the pups. They'd be back soon, and then it was her turn. If Tony came for Gordy in a couple of hours, when school ended, that would be fine. Tony hung up. He knew exactly what he wanted to do.

He drove to the Herveaux House. Tony didn't go in the house, he went to his motorcycle. He used to ride it whenever he wasn't working. Now, he used the truck more often than not. Tony didn't mind it so much, Gordy was worth it. At the moment, it was just what the doctor ordered. He got on the machine and listened as it roared to life.

The Were didn't care where he went, he took whatever street appealed to him at the moment. He was on the interstate for several minutes before deciding that he should start back. The feel of the wind on his face, the speed, and the vibration of the machine were all simultaneously exhilarating and comforting to him. It ended too soon. But it had to end.

Gordy had lots to tell Daddy when he arrived at Pup's. Gordy really liked the school that Mr. and Mrs. Pupp had. It was loads of fun. At this school, everyone has a werewolf relative. No one here would call him a liar if he talked about Weres. Gordy did that once at his other school; it was a school with humans. He said that his mama and papa were werewolves. The teacher asked him if he could change too. When he responded "no," his classmates made fun of him and called him a liar. Gordy didn't get to explain why he couldn't change; the others wouldn't stop being mean. He didn't like that. He liked that school, but he didn't talk about werewolves ever again.

Gordy looked forward to coming back next week. He liked his new classmates. The teachers were fun too. Mr. Pupp was funny. One thing they talked about was safety. If little boys and girls could sense the magic of change, they needed to move away from it. It was never good to be too close to a changing wolf. One little girl in his class had a scar on her arm because she ran to her mommy instead of going away.

His son gave him the thick paper he was holding. "It's for you Daddy." He looked at the picture. There was a house and a family standing in front. Tony was fairly certain that the blond with fangs was supposed to be Pam, the child was Gordy and the man next to Pam was him. Gordy was in the middle, with another couple on the other side of him._ Who were the others? _He told Gordy that it was really nice of him. It was a nice picture. Gordy said "I wanted you to have a picture of our family." He pointed to the people he wasn't certain of. "Grand-père and grand-mère."

Tony thanked his son and gave him a great big bear hug.

They went home and had an early dinner. Tony was starving, he skipped lunch in favor of his joyride. Gordy was hungry too, he was very busy at the school today. Mama had made a shepherds pie for them. Daddy thought he smelled garlic. He pulled back the lid to the dish. Oh there was garlic alright. Tony loved garlic, but he would not eat it knowing that it bothered Pam. He'd put it in the freezer and figure out what to do with it later. Daddy and Pup went to a fish-fry for dinner, and it wasn't so early anymore.

The light in the sky vanished as they ate. Gordy ordered a scoop of mint ice-cream for dessert. Tony asked for a coffee, no dessert. The cell phone rang.

Pam left the house house a few minutes ago, they weren't there. The air in the house was tainted with garlic. Tony told her where they were, Gordon's ice-cream was on its way and then they would head back home. Oh. Pam was right around the corner. She'd pop in.

Tony saw Pam walk in; he always faced the door and windows. It was a Were thing. Few Weres would have a back to a service door or a window unless a trusted Were could watch his back. Gordy smelled her and jumped down from his seat to go hug her. She made it to the table; the couple greeted one another with a kiss.

The waitress appeared with Gordy's ice-cream and asked if the new arrival was interested in anything. Tony hadn't seen blood on the menu and asked if they had any. The waitress' eyes bulged as she realized Pam's nature. Vampires never came in, so the supply the once had went bad. Sorry. The waitress really was sorry, sorry to be denying a vampire a bottle of blood. Tony said to Pam that he'd pick some up on the way home. Not to worry, Fangtasia was just a couple of blocks away. Pam could get a bottle when she went to work in a few hours. As the waitress walked away, Gordy told Pam that he thought the lady was afraid of her. Pam said that it was because she knew what Pam was. If the waitress knew who else in the room was not human, she'd be afraid of them too. Humans were afraid of what they didn't know. The waitress in question heard most of the exchange and started looking around the room.

Gordy quickly ate is dessert so they could go home and Tony could show Pam the picture that Gordy made in school. Pam was on foot when she had come into the area, so now she rode in the truck with Tony and Gordy. Tony made a point of stopping at a liquor store to pick up some blood. Gordy was a nonstop chatter box tonight. He had much to share.

Pam raised a brow when she saw the picture Gordy drew and he told her who everybody was. When he said that this was the picture of his family, Pam smiled. A genuine smile for the boy.

Tony and Pam tucked Gordy in bed after he bathed and brushed his teeth. Gordy requested the _Seven Ravens_ story again. Pam said that she did not understand his need to hear it so many times. Gordy giggled and said he liked it. Pam related the story again. They closed the door to Gordy's room once he was asleep.

Tony drew a bath in the master bathroom. This one was a nice size. The bathroom a large tub and a big shower stall too. He remembered that she liked lavender, and added lavender scented bath oil.

She asked him about his day while they relaxed in the tub. He told her about his parents. Tony said that he'd even punched a hole in the wall. Pam wondered what had happened there. Pam had to leave for work in a little over an hour, she was working tomorrow too at Fangtasia. Once the whole issue with New Jersey was cleaned up, she would ask for some time off. Pam would need to plan her time off with Tony's. She owed him a lobster dinner in Maine. Tony smiled and said that he really didn't think that was necessary. Pam said that it was, for several reasons.

The vampire said that her werewolf really needed to relax. She remembered something that worked very well the last time she'd done it. Pam got out of the tub and pulled a towel off of the heated towel rack. Tony got out and she began to dry him off. Not to be out done, he grabbed a towel and dried her.

He pulled her with him as he made his way back into the master bedroom. Pam turned her body to momentarily reach her cell phone and turn off the ringer. Her back was to him, he was getting a view that he wanted to burn into his memory. Pam sensed a spike in his libido and turned to look at him. She smiled and pushed her rear-end toward him. _What wolf could resist that?_ Not him. Tony was on her like white on rice. He was an attentive lover which made her enjoy it even more. Tony rode her till he nearly collapsed.

They went to the bed and Pam said that she wanted to see his sexy ass again. She told him that she had wanted to give him a massage. After the ride she just had, he'd earned it. If he got hard again, while she worked she would make him turn over so that she could take care of it. _Talk about a happy ending._ Pam started to rub his back with her oiled hands, and then stopped. "I recall that you had a sexual question."

Tony wasn't thinking clearly. Pam reminded him of where they were when she said that she would ask him later about a sex question. _Oh, yeah. _"When you fed me your blood, you, your body was really... you were horny as hell." Pam smiled broadly. That wasn't a question. What was his question? "If you're that excited when someone drinks from you, how come you don't hear more about it?" He was skirting around the question.

"Aside from the fact that there are now V addicts, having another drink your blood is risky. It will temporarily weaken the vampire, but more than that a vampire would then know exactly how the person felt about him or her." Pam stated. There was still more for him to say.

"I want to make you tremble when we're together. It happens sometimes, like when you bite me. I got to thinking about the other times that your body was wild. That night, on Sookie's porch... and you tried to hold back." He took in a deep breath. "I was wondering if there was a connection between what happened there and what we do in here that can help."

"You are determined." Her eyes lowered into a bedroom gaze. "We don't have time for it now, but the next time we're together the earth will move. Again." She pointed to his bed. "_I'm determined_ to rub some knots out of you. Lay down on your stomach so I can see that sexy ass of yours."

He obeyed. This time he would think nothing of the naked vampire straddling him as she gave him the massage of a lifetime. He didn't feel her pull up the blanket before she left for work. Tony was vaguely aware of her kiss.


	20. Kindred

(20) Kindred

Tony had the day off today. He and Gordy ate breakfast and went to a pack-run area for wolf-back riding. It was not uncommon to see other children riding on the backs of wolves when they went to this park. They saw one other group wolf-back riding; a female and her two pups. The mother Ulrica was one of Úla's aunts. The boys, Rudy and Randy were Gordon's new classmates. Ulrica woofed a "hello." Tony woofed back. The children waved to one another.

After riding in the wolf park, the two went to see an early movie. It had been a while since he and Gordy went to the movies and Pam wouldn't appreciate the kind of movie that his child did. _At least he didn't think she would. _Sookie was there too, accompanied by the pack master himself.

Sookie didn't care to go in to the movies at night for a few reasons. One was that she didn't care to be around so many human brains at once. Another was that Eric would see it as dangerous to have so many people surrounding his wife. Yet another would be her concern for the safety of the humans should Eric join her; there was always one idiot in the group. A human idiot could turn into a dead idiot if Eric were present.

He greeted his pack master and Sookie. Sookie bought three tickets. _Three?_ Who was the third? Tony bought a ticket for Gordy and himself. Sookie went to the concession stand and bought a large coffee, then waited for her third person to appear. Out of the rest rooms came Amelia.

Amelia saw the Weres and smiled. There was sadness behind her smile. Gordy squealed and ran to hug her "hello." He had missed her. Amelia and Tony hugged in greeting too. He smelled Alcide's scent on her; he must've given her a hug too. All the Were's liked Amelia. Her appearance hadn't changed much, but she was a bit thinner and her eyes didn't have the same sparkle they once had. Considering how hard she fell after learning of Tray's death, she looked good. Tony said that it was great to see her again.

Sookie, Amelia and Alcide left the concession area and went to the doorway for their movie. The girls were going to watch a girlie movie; characters spewing about their emotional angst, a love story of some kind that gets dragged out far beyond a normal man's ability to pay attention, lots of crying and sobbing, and a "Happily Ever After" ending. _Thank god he had Gordy with him._ Alcide wouldn't dump the guard duty on Tony while he was with his boy. The Were just hoped that his cousin didn't go catatonic before the movie ended.

Tony bought a small popcorn and two sodas. He paid almost as much for the drinks and snack as he did for the tickets. It was amazing to realize that they could have played an OnDemand video, invited all of Gordy's new classmates, fed them all popcorn and soda; and all of that would cost less than the two of them spending a couple of hours at the theater. But they did enjoy the big screen and the surround sound. _Daddy would have to look at new televisions and a sound system._

The Were and his son left the movie theater a little more than an hour after arriving. Gordy loved the movie. _Could they go to Burger King for lunch? _Gordy not only liked the movie, but was fully aware that Burger King had toys based on the movie. He smiled to himself. He was glad that Gordy liked the movie, but they had food at home.

Before they reached the truck, Tony's cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the phone number, but he did recall the area code. The call was coming from New Jersey. He answered the phone with a curt "hello," and motioned for his son to go on ahead of him.

His father was calling to tell him that they had made it to their destination. His père said that he felt bad with how they had parted, but he was sure that Tony would one day see the light.

Tony cut off his father and told him that he knew his parents were in New Jersey and not in Texas. He demanded to know what they were up to. They're going against the pack would have serious consequences. The pack would hunt them and kill them. His parents needed to stop before they progressed too far. Père Herveaux said that they were doing what was best for the future of their family, what must be done. Tony could feel his heart breaking as he told his father that if they really were going ahead with whatever hair brained plan he not only would have to report them to Alcide, but he'd not be able to see them again. He would abjure his own parents. His père said that he understood and that Tony would do what he felt was necessary. Père Herveaux would do what he thought was necessary too. The line went dead. Tony closed his cell.

Sookie called to him from the movie theater exit. The threesome had just left their showing of the girlie movie. He went to see what she wanted. The telepath asked if everything was okay. _She knew that his mood was at the bottom of a barrel somewhere. _He said that a family issue had come up and glanced at Alcide. Amelia picked up on the silent exchange and said how much she would like to have lunch with Tony and Gordy while she was in Bon Temps but that she wasn't there for long and would not feel right leaving her friend behind when she'd come to visit Sookie. Sookie said that they could all eat together; that way Amelia could catch up with her Were friends and not feel like she'd left Sookie behind. Besides, Sookie was friends with them too.

Tony told the group that he had a shepherd's pie in the refrigerator. He took it out of the freezer last night. It was very garlicky and decided that if he'd eat it, it would be on a night that Pam wouldn't be around. Pam was working tonight and he'd be asleep before she got off.

Sookie smiled. She hadn't had food with garlic in a coon's age. Eric would be out all night working at Fangtasia and seeing to his sheriff duties. If she reeked of garlic tonight, that was fine. Eric didn't want other vampires to get too close to her anyway.

The entire group went to Tony's home. Right away, Gordy wanted to show Amelia his room. He had a train set out. The train set had been a Christmas present from Auntie Amelia and Uncle Tray. He pulled out a coloring book that Amelia had given him. A piece of paper with a picture on it slid out. It was a picture that Gordy had made for Uncle Tray but never got to show him. It was of his Uncle and Amelia and baby Amelia too. Gordy had heard Tray say that one day he and Amelia would have a baby girl. Amelia choked up.

Alcide and Tony checked out the house and surrounding area. The neighbors were pack members, but they came and went all day just like humans did. There were no strange scents or items in or around the house.

Amelia went into the kitchen and poured a drink for Sookie, Gordy and herself. She turned on the oven. The Weres could hear and smell what she was doing, so they went out back to talk for a few minutes after scouting the house and surrounding area.

Tony told Alcide about the phone call with his parents. He also said that he thought abjuring them was practically imminent. Alcide told him that it didn't sound good but his parents hadn't done anything yet. If they did go against the Shreveport pack, the pack would hunt them. The conversation didn't make Tony feel any better, but at least the pack master knew what was going on.

As pack master Alcide had the power and authority to demand information from any member of his pack. Alcide could have demanded Tony to tell him what Sookie was talking about when she asked Tony what was bothering him. If Alcide had used his pack master power on Tony, it would have changed their relationship for the worse too. Tony had no illusions; his cousin would use that power and authority against him if Alcide thought it was necessary. _It was better to tell the truth anyway. _

The group ate the garlicky shepherd's pie. Amelia joked that the garlic was stronger than any protection spell she could come up with. Sookie said that she had almost forgotten what garlic smelled like. The last time she had so much garlic was when she was dating the weretiger Quinn. Amelia said that was the one thing that she gave up during her short time dating a vampire; Pam could smell it on her even two days after she had eaten it.

Tony perked up. He knew that Amelia had dated a vampire before going with Tray; he did not know who that vampire was. "Pam? Eric Northman's second-in-command?"

Amelia said "Yes." She knew from Sookie who it was that he was dating. She was shocked at first to learn that a Were and a vamp were going together. But then she thought about the two of them as individuals and saw the connection. Amelia was just glad that neither of them had killed the other before getting so cozy.

Sookie and Alcide listened to the back and forth between Pam's boyfriend and her ex-girlfriend. Sookie's eyes bulged and her face reddened. All eyes were now on Sookie. She looked at Amelia. Sookie must have heard something from Amelia that made her blush. The men were curious but got the feeling that whatever it was shouldn't be shared in front of Gordy.

Tony cleaned up while the ladies and Alcide kicked a soccer ball with Gordy. He joined them when the cleanup was finished and had opened all the windows to help change the air in the house.

Gordy went down for a nap after the game of soccer. The adults talked in the living room. Amelia had been staying in New Orleans with her father. She was a recluse for a time, but she needed to get on with her life. When Sookie left to use the rest room, Tony asked Amelia, "Does Sookie know?"

Sookie knew everything about Amelia when Amelia was near. She was an open book to Sookie. It was a contributing factor to Amelia leaving Bon Temps and being quiet. At this point, there was over a ninety percent chance that her baby would be fine. Had she lost the baby after having lost the baby's father, Amelia didn't think she could have lived through it; and the thought of telling people that she was pregnant to then say that she lost the baby was something that she just couldn't bear the thought of.

Tony asked her if she was sure the baby was okay. She looked thinner than when he'd last seen her. Amelia had only a hint of a pooch in her stomach, not enough for someone to suspect she was in her third trimester. Amelia said that most of her weight loss was right at the beginning, before she knew that she was pregnant. She had lost her appetite when Tray died, but she forced herself to eat healthy for the sake of their unborn child once she found out. Amelia had gained back fifteen pounds in the past month. Tony was rocked. If she had _gained_ fifteen pounds, then she really was underweight near the start of her pregnancy. She pulled out the drawing that Gordy gave to her earlier, the one that he had drawn for Tray. Tears ran down her face as she said that she wished Tray were there to see his dream come true.

Sookie came back to the living room, sat next to Amelia and put an arm around her. Tray died while he tried to protect Sookie. It was because of her that Tray died. Amelia shook her head, "no." If Amelia thought of it that way, she would never be able to forgive Sookie. Sookie pressed on and said that she would help Amelia with the baby. She would do it for her best friend and to honor the memory of her late fiancé.

Alcide added that the pack would be there too. Tray was a pack member. The pack takes care of its' members. The Shreveport Weres had been looking forward to the day that Amelia was wed to Tray and officially became a human member. The fact that she carried Trays' baby made her a human member, if she wanted. Amelia thanked Alcide that meant a lot to her.

Tony said that he would help her with anything she needed. Did she need anything? He wished he'd known earlier. His best friend's girl was pregnant and didn't have him with her... that wasn't right. _Tray would be so pissed with at him for not helping his girl._ Tony should have investigated and pushed some buttons to find where she was and to be there for her because his buddy couldn't be. Amelia said she probably would have sent him away. _He should have at least tried._

Alcide's phone rang. Jacques was calling from Bon Temps. The group was finishing up the day's work at the Herveaux House when they heard noise coming from the Stackhouse property. A group of men were assaulting the house, to no avail. The charms kept it intact. Since the people were human, the police were called. Fourteen people were arrested. Jacques wouldn't be surprised if most or all were released before midnight.

The pack master dialed a number and spoke with the Sheriff. He told Eric what he had just heard. There was no word yet on who the latest attackers were.

Amelia was tired. Sookie was ready to go home. Alcide told them that they would need to stay in Shreveport tonight. There had been an attack, or at least an attempt to attack Sookie's house. Eric, Pam and Darrell were going to Bon Temps to check it out.

Tony said that they should just stay where they were. The neighborhood was a pack 'hood, so if anything did happen there would be a bunch of wolves nearby in no time. Oh, and a couple of vampires would come too. Two houses on the street were hosting a vampire.

The Were went into the master bedroom and changed the sheets. He had a king size bed in that room. The other two rooms only had one twin each. His son was asleep in one bed. That left a twin in the guest room and the king in his room. Tony changed the sheets on his bed and put fresh towels in the bathroom.

He told the ladies that it was between them who would get the twin and who would get the king. _He thought Amelia should get the comfy king because she was pregnant._ He would sleep on the couch.

The women quickly decided that the two of them would share the big bed that way Tony could sleep in a bed too.

Alcide sent a text message to his people "on call" to let them know what was up. He also received a message that two vampires were headed over to provide nighttime protection.

Amelia was noticeably tired. The group urged her to go lay down. She gave in when Sookie said that she was tired too. The women went to the master bedroom to go to sleep.

Tony went outside to check around. A handsome, svelte, black vampire with meticulous cornrows and a business suit scouted the area. Tony didn't know the vampire but recognized him from the gathering at the reception hall. The vampire introduced himself. Terrell was staying as a guest of the Shreveport pack, with the family that lived three houses down. Todd and Thalia arrived for guard duty. William Pupp came too.

William and Todd said that they smelled Amelia. Was she inside? How was she? They hadn't seen her in a coon's age and were worried about her. Tony said that Amelia was inside, but that she had gone to bed. The wolves gave him a look that said a lot. He told them that she was sleeping. Emphasis on sleeping. Tony had a girl. They asked if Amelia's ex-vampire lover knew Pam. Tony told them that her ex was Pam. The Weres were speechless. Tony knew that if anything, their opinion of Pam just went up.

Tony went back inside and started writing down a list of items to get at the grocery store. He had some food, but he hadn't planned on having guests for breakfast. _Did Amelia need prenatal vitamins? _She should be taking them. He remembered that from when Sandy was pregnant with Gordon. Tony knocked lightly on the door, loud enough to get attention if someone was awake, but not so loud that it would wake a sleeper. Sookie came to the door; she wore one of Pam's nightgowns. Amelia did take prenatal vitamins, she didn't remember the name but she described what the bottle looked like. Amelia was asleep already, otherwise she'd ask. Sookie asked if he had a compress. Amelia had been having some back pain. She couldn't take anything for it, but maybe a warm compress could help.

Tony went to Walmart for his purchases. It was open twenty-four hours a day and had everything that was needed.

He returned to his house and put away most of the items. A handful were left in a bag and hung on the door handle to the master bedroom.

Tony went to bed. He'd have to shower in the morning. He had guard duty in the morning. His commute was the shortest in his guarding history. This was the first time that a charge was guarded inside his home. They were in a pack neighborhood, guarded by pack members and two of Eric's vampires; they were as safe as safe could get.

He could smell her presence. He felt her lips brush his cheek. Then she used her lips to tell him how awful he smelled. Pam backed away. "If parents were ever afraid that their child would bed a vampire, all they had to do was feed 'em my mamas garlicky pie." He quipped.

She laughed. "No wonder you're stuck in here, you stink." Tony had told her about the pie. All of them had eaten it for lunch. He wasn't expecting to see Pam tonight, so he didn't think it'd be a problem. "If I didn't know you so well, I'd leave. Instead, you'll just have to suffer not getting a love bite." _Ah fuck!_ She was so hot when she bit him. _He wasn't planning on getting any tonight anyway._ Pam moved closer to the door. "Eric is here. He is talking to Alcide on the front porch."

No doubt the sheriff wanted to see his wife. Would Eric be okay with what was in there? Pam asked him what he meant by that. Sookie was sharing a bed with someone. Pam was aware of that; she saw Sookie and Amelia in the bedroom when she went in. Eric would be fine with Sookie lying with Amelia. He would only have a problem if Amelia were a male. But, Pam admitted, Amelia smelled sweet; as though the baby's blood was calling to her. Pam teased him that he had two young females in his bed, how often did that happen?

Tony got up and invited Eric in. Eric went into the master bedroom and his nose flared. He agreed with Pam, Amelia smelled divine. The scent of garlic tainted it though. He moved closer to his wife, she smelled of garlic too. Eric glared at Tony; all living creatures in the house reeked of garlic. Tony told him to speak to Sookie. Eric assured him that he would. Eric leaned over to kiss Sookie's cheek. Her arm reached out in front of her and rested on Amelia. Eric smiled and admired the sight. Pam peeked in the room, she was amused too.

Eric came back out of the room and went into the living room. Sookie's house itself was safe, but coming and going could be dangerous. Queen Levana was behind at least three recent events. The sheriff and the pack master both believed that she was testing the new alliance. She had hired Weres, vampires and humans alike all for the purpose of testing the union.

Charles Chaplin was to meet with Eric and Alcide tomorrow night. Charles was the vampire that had come into Merlotte's to meet Pam and Tony. Tony had heard of a Charlie Chaplin, but didn't know what the old-time actor looked like. Tony thought that he would Google the name and see if the two were one and the same.

It was looking like the Queen was buying their story that they had united. No wonder, they kind of had. Even if it were only temporary there were fewer inter-species fights in area five.

Pam and Thalia would be the vampire guard while they were at the meeting. Victor Madden had offered to watch over Sookie, but Eric declined. Eric didn't trust Victor Madden; no one was to leave her with him. Madden was not a Shreveport vampire, and Eric only trusted his vampires.

Another problem: other kingdoms knew of the Shreveport alliance and thought that it was a first step to taking over their territory. Eric was able to square things with a handful of the kings and queens, but not all of them.

Alcide reported a similar problem with the Weres: outside packs took the alliance to mean that the pack was under vampire control. Some packs saw the Weres as victims that needed to be freed; others saw them as traitors to their own kind. Like Eric, Alcide did have success with some Were leaders, but not all.

The pack master made some more phone calls. The guards on duty would need relief and the vampire guards needed to get inside. The next shift of guards was on its' way.

The vampires left for their day time sleep. The next shift was in place.

Tony started brewing coffee and cooking breakfast. Amelia woke up, he could hear her. Sookie woke not long after Amelia. Amelia was feeling sick. He listened as Amelia told her friend that she felt sick for about a half an hour after waking up; it had been like that for nearly the entire pregnancy. It was also why she resisted taking naps during the day. Amelia would feel sick when she woke up again, even if it were after a short nap. She would be fine once she got moving for the day.

The ladies dressed in clothes from the day before. Someone would be stopping by Sookie's house and getting them clothes to wear. Eric didn't want Sookie to return home just yet. He wanted her surrounded by allies and close-by while he and Alcide were at the meeting tonight. Amelia shouldn't be surprised if some stop in just to see her. The guards smelled her scent and knew she was here. Word was out by now that Amelia was back in the area.

Amelia smiled. The way Tony said it, she sounded like a celebrity. He said that she kind of was. But not because of the magic that she did that would get herself into trouble, and not because she was the daughter of a famous wealthy mogul. The Weres liked her for her... and they had missed her so now they might mob her. Amelia said it kinda felt good to be back. She thanked Tony for getting her the prenatal vitamins and the other items too. Both ladies appreciated having a toothbrush in the morning.

Betty-Ann knocked and came inside to collect Gordy. She was taking him to preschool. Betty-Ann squealed with delight when she saw Amelia. The young Were hugged the witch and said that she had been missed. The female Were wanted to stay and chat, but couldn't. She hoped they could catch up another time.

Tony figured that Amelia would soon tire of hearing that people missed her, wanted to know how she was, where had she been, and why hadn't she called. Everyone that knew her had the same questions. Hearing them every time she encountered an old friend or acquaintance could get old fast. He said this to Amelia. She said that that was about the size of it and that she'd try not to snap at the Weres; she really did like them.

It was a little after lunch. The two women sat in the living room sharing stories and talking about their lives. The wolves outside all moved into defensive positions. Tony went on alert and told both women to stay away from the windows. Tony went to check it out.

A teenage girl approached the house. Tony sniffed the air, she wasn't human. She was some sort of demon. The girl spoke, "AreyouTony? ImDianthaMyunclesentme," She looked at Tony "Pleasedtomeetyawhere'sSookie?" Tony was trying to process what he'd just heard. It sounded like there was English in there, but she didn't speak like anyone he knew. She slowed it down a bit and spoke again, being more careful to pronounce each word individually. When she was done Tony told her that he needed to go inside and check with Sookie.

The ladies looked at him as he reentered their view. He was about to speak when Diantha started calling out to Sookie. "AreyouokayinthereSookie? SookieitsmeDiantha." Sookie smiled. She said that that was Mr. Cataliades' niece. Her name was Diantha and Diantha was a friend. Tony said that she had some mighty strange friends.

Diantha came inside and greeted Sookie. She slowed down her speech a bit to explain that Eric had called last night to update her uncle. Things kept getting dangerous for Sookie. Diantha would help protect her. Diantha looked at Amelia. Her eyes narrowed as she sniffed the air. She smelled magic surrounding Amelia though the woman herself had a human scent.

Sookie introduced the women. Diantha wanted to know that Sookie could say with certainty that Amelia was the real deal. Some supes could hide or mask scents. Many witches were practiced at it. And a pregnant supe was more dangerous than a dozen non-preggies. Sookie said that not only was she certain, but all of the wolves in the area knew her and could vouch for her.

Well then, Diantha would be staying by Sookie's side at least until after the meeting tonight. Maybe longer.

Sookie used her cell phone to call Claire. Could they switch days? Luckily, they could. Claire would take Sookie's shift at Merlotte's later today. She would take Claire's shift on Wednesday.

A cell phone rang. The call was for Tony, from Alcide. Alcide was on his way back. He'd just gotten word that there were panthers in the area. The panthers were tracking Sookie. It'd only be minutes before they found her. "Like we need another war," Tony muttered to himself when he hung up.

Anyone could tell that something was happening. A person needn't be telepathic to pick up on that. Tony told them, "Some panthers are on their way here. They're tracking Sookie's scent." The ladies didn't seem too concerned. Tony continued, "They heard about the attack on Sookie's home. The panthers checked it out and didn't find Sookie there. Calvin Norris called Alcide and Alcide told him that Sookie was fine." He looked at Sookie. "It seems that your brother has convinced a tracker friend to help him find you anyway... his coming into Were territory, without permission, tracking a human that is under protection... well, that often leads to the death of the trespasser."

"No!" Sookie yelled as she stood up.

"That is why Alcide is on his way. He is going to do what he can to save their asses. Not that they really deserve it." Sookie shot him a nasty look. "Hey, they know the laws. At least the tracker does. That brother of your should by now too."

Sookie pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. Jason's voice-mail answered. She told him to stop whatever he was doing and to call her. Call her! She snapped the phone shut.

_Did everyone have an idiot relative?_ He wondered as he pulled out a heating pad for Amelia. He had noticed her switching positions and rubbing her back. She was grateful for the multilevel heating pad. It was put on a low setting.

The telepath got up and motioned for Tony to follow, she wanted to talk to him in private. Did he know what Alcide would do when he met up with the trespassing panthers? Tony couldn't say. If the panthers were in panther mode, Alcide may have to fight just to subdue them. Two-natured creatures think differently when they are in there human form; they are less controlled by impulse when they're human. That was the danger when fighting as a Were, animal instinct was to kill whatever you fought not to simply subdue it.

With all that was going on, she knew that Amelia felt like she had come at a bad time and ought to head back to New Orleans. No one could fault Amelia's assessment, but no one would want to see her leave. He would talk to Alcide.

The unmistakable sound of an animal fight filtered in through the windows. Tony smelled the air, the werepanthers were off some distance in the woods. The wolves surrounding the house tensed and went on alert. After a minute, there was the unmistakable sound of a high pitch cry of pain.

* * *

_*** FYI and for my own curiosity – I set up a forum for discussing the characters created in this story. I'm curious what you think about them. Some things surprised me. I surprised myself when I gave Tony a child. I didn't see that coming until it was on the screen. _

_Some characters have a background that I have not yet shared. If the opportunity will come or not, I will not know until the story is finished._

_So please, feel free to talk about a character or all characters. Good, bad or ugly._


	21. Honesty & Deceit

(21)Honesty & Deceit

Sookie was nervous. Even she had heard the fight off in the woods. Worse, she had heard the painful cry and didn't know to whom the outcry belonged. The sound hadn't lasted long, but the waiting to hear what happened did. She anxiously paced. After fifteen minutes she was ready to go out the door and go into the woods. Tony told her that they would have left the woods by now. Sookie looked at her friend Amelia, gave up her thought of heading into the woods, and restarted her pacing. _Amelia must have thought something that convinced Sookie not to aimlessly walk out into the woods. Of course, she'd have been followed._

Alcide's truck pulled into Tony's driveway. It had been nearly an hour since the bout in the woods. Sookie raced out of the house to see her brother. He was dressed, and looked like he had gotten his ass kicked in a bar fight. She hugged him fiercely and then hit him, "How stupid do you have to be before you get yourself killed?"

"I know I done wrong Sookie." He looked at the ground. "I just got my ass handed to me... I don't need you to harp on me too." He looked at his sister. "Humans attacked your house. You weren't home when we came to check on you. Calvin said that you were fine, but he didn't..." Jason swallowed his words as he looked back at Alcide. He decided to use some tact. "I _thought_ that I should protect my sister."

"Jason, I love you but you're a fucking idiot sometimes." She was agitated and she was spent from worry.

Alcide stepped between them when it looked as though she might go off on her brother again. Alcide addressed her, "Jason didn't ask for permission to come. We _discussed_ what that means. As he is your brother and is here as such, Jason may remain." He turns to Jason. "Within the conditions we discussed." Jason nodded his acquiescence and cowered.

Sookie turned on Alcide. "What did you do to him?!" She addressed Jason. "What did he do to you? Jason?!" Jason wanted to answer, but held his tongue. It was not like Jason to keep mum. The telepath advanced on the pack leader, demanding. "What the hell did you do to my brother?"

The pack master took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He glanced at Jason and then addressed Sookie. "I reminded him who he is and where he belongs." He looked right at Jason as he spoke to Sookie. "His friend is surely getting a harsher reminder from Calvin. By all rights, we could have killed them." Alcide returned his gaze to Sookie. "We didn't, because I am the pack master and knew their reason for their trespassing. You both need to understand, another pack master would have killed them anyway." Sookie's eyes teared up and she choked on whatever words were on the tip of her tongue.

Tony and Alcide went outside to allow Sookie and Jason alone time; Amelia went back into the master bedroom and made use of the comfy furniture to read a book. Diantha sat in the living room until Amelia intervened; then the two women sat in the master bedroom and exchanged supernatural small talk. The Weres didn't eavesdrop on Sookie and her brother, much.

The Weres talked about what happened in the woods. Jason went down in no time, but his tracker friend was a full panther. The panther took a few bites and kicks. Had Alcide not known why the two were there, he'd have gone all out. He could have killed the panther with one decisive attack. Not going for the kill made the spree last longer than it would have otherwise. One of the Weres on duty said that he heard the tracker was Calvin's son, Cole. Alcide nodded his head "yes." The Weres admired Alcide's restraint.

Had things ended differently, the panthers would have been on their way to attack the wolves by now. The wolves would have defended themselves and slaughtered their attackers. _Maybe those two dumb fucks had a clue now as to how serious this all was._ The two-natured fiercely defended its' territory and Weres were at the top of the two-natured hierarchy. A battle between werewolves and wereanimals wasn't a battle at all, it was easy pickins.

Alcide smelled the demon when he arrived, but none of his pack was on alert because of it; he was curious though. "Who's the demon in your house Tony?" Tony explained that the demon, Diantha, was a friend of Sookie's. Diantha's uncle, once a lawyer for the late Queen Sophie-Ann Leclerq, was another Sookie admirer and had sent his niece to offer additional protection. Alcide had a wry smile. "Is there a supe that woman doesn't get on with?"

The werewolves were now aware that Jason too had smelled the demon. Sookie was telling him about her friends Diantha and Mr. Cataliades. Jason told her that demons were... Well they were demonic, evil. His sister couldn't be near a demon. Jason wouldn't allow it. Sookie told Jason that it was not his decision. Their voices continued to rise as they argued over Sookie's safety; including that she was nowhere near Bon Temps or Hotshot, and that she was staying in _werewolf_ territory. Jason didn't say it while in Tony's house and surrounded by Weres, but his tone implied that Weres weren't to be trusted. Alcide went back inside the house, leaving his pack mates to remain outside.

Jason shut his pie hole the instant Alcide walked in. This upset Sookie and she glared at the pack master. Sookie didn't like arguing with her brother, but she didn't like that her brother had been through whatever it was that had happened with Alcide either.

Alcide said he hadn't met Diantha before nor had he met Mr. Cataliades, but he knew who the lawyer was. The pack master also knew from Eric Northman that the two demons really were fond of Sookie. If Jason were to continue to act like an idiot, the demon could easily kill him. It only took one touch, or a fireball, or a... well, there were so many ways a demon could kill. A lot depended on the type of demon. The point he was making to Jason was that if Sookie said a supe was okay, then that person was to be treated as an ally. _And he could get himself killed if he continued to act like a goddamn idiot._

The pack master directed Jason to the back door so that the two of them could talk again. Sookie's eyes went wide; she was concerned for her brother. Alcide assured her that they were just going to talk.

Several minutes later, the two returned. Jason wore several different moods on his face; relief, purpose, and resolve were the new characteristics but concern, anger and fear were still there. Jason told Sookie that he'd be leaving. Alcide gave him a job to do, one that he wouldn't fuck up. He hugged his sister and told her to call if she needed him. Jason could come back into pack territory at any time as his fully human self so long as Sookie was there. All Shreveport Weres were told this so that they wouldn't attack him on sight.

The pack master left with Jason in his truck. They headed back to Bon Temps.

It was after the two left that Sookie realized that she didn't know what the "job" was that Alcide had given her brother. She hoped her brother would be alright and not be put in any danger.

The rest of the daylight hours were calm. Amelia kept herself busy looking around the house and checking out the herbs and other items in the kitchen; then she inspected the plant growth surrounding the house. Amy had done this before, but this time she was doing it with a critical eye. She asked to do a protection spell on the house. The witch desperately wanted something to do. Tony was weary of her practicing magic with a baby inside her. Amelia gave him her word that she would only do charms that she had successfully done before. She wouldn't try any new spells while her baby was still inside. Tony said that he knew Amy wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted. He consented.

Sookie was surprised to hear Amelia's nickname. Amelia didn't like to be called Amy, at least not by her fellow humans. She seemed to enjoy hearing that name from the Were. Originally Tray was the only one to call her by that name. Evidently Tray referred to her as Amy whenever he spoke about her. The whole pack knew her by his nickname for her before she'd even met the others. Somehow it didn't bother her like she thought it would and it became a Were thing; only Weres called her Amy.

Diantha was quiet for most of the time. When she did speak, it was so quick that it took a moment to process. The demon still wasn't too keen on Amelia, but part of that was because Diantha had natural powers and Amelia had learned powers. Evidently that was a really big deal in the magical world.

Everyone perked up when Gordy returned from school. The ladies were crazy, each finding her own way to get his attention. Gordon liked them all, but he had really missed Amy and made a point to ask her alone to play with him for a bit. All the ladies had play time with him eventually. Tony never would have thought that a demon would dote over a child, but there she was; a demon just as giddy as the human females were to be around a toddler. There was _way more_ estrogen in Tony's home than he was used to.

Shortly after dark three vampires arrived; Pam, Pam's maker and Thalia. Thalia remained outside, but Pam entered as if this were her home. Eric trailed behind her. _If this was like another home to Pam, then her Maker should be welcome too, right? _Eric's invitation hadn't been rescinded anyway. Pam greeted Tony while Eric greeted Sookie.

Eric told Sookie that he had little time before heading for the meeting with Charlie. He didn't expect the meeting to last long and planned on coming back. He wanted her to give him her word that she would not leave the area; she was well protected here with his vampires... and the Weres too.

Sookie looked a bit awkward in forming a response. She told Eric that she felt bad that she and her two friends were encroaching Tony's place; and he'd never invited them to stay. Sookie wouldn't feel so bad if she knew that Tony wasn't being forced to share his home.

Tony had Pam in his arms when they overheard the exchange between Sookie and Eric. No one had asked, demanded, or requested the current arrangement. It just happened. Tony had no problem with Sookie,_ and now it gave him a reason to see Amy again. _Pam looked at him, waiting for him to put a voice to his thoughts. _This situation wasn't going to last forever; the temporary plan was fine._ Tony responded loud enough for Sookie to hear too, not just the supes; that he had no problem with the arrangement.

Gordon raced over to hug Pam. Amelia watched from the kitchen where she had been brewing some sort of concoction for her charms. Amelia was amused at the sight and said it was good to see Pam. Pam said that she was pleased to see Amelia, she went to Amelia and gave her a familiar hug. Pam followed the hug with a statement that her ex smelled wonderful.

_Uh-oh. Pam was toying with him. It was working too. _Tony had always thought that Amelia was attractive but would not have touched her with a ten foot pole because she was with Tray. Now his lover and his _hot friend_ hugged. _It was hot. _Pam didn't help to cool it off either. Tony could feel that his libido wanted to assert itself. Pam gave him a leer as he tried desperately to think of something other than the new fantasy that was forming in his mind.

The intense moment faded when Eric got up to leave; Pam was now on official guard duty.

Pam began looking around. She acknowledged Diantha, who was coloring with Gordon. Then she checked every window and door before going outside; she walked out with Eric as he went to his corvette.

The evening progressed quietly. When the time came, Gordon got ready for bed with his daddy supervising him. Gordon was out of the tub, drying off when Amelia came to take over. Sookie wanted to tell him something.

Little Gordy was torn. He loved it when Pam told him his bedtime story and tucked him in. But he also loved it when Amelia sang her silly song, made him giggle and attacked him with the Tickle Monster when she tucked him in. Sookie could hear his internal dialogue. He didn't want either one to be upset with him.

While the conversation was enlightening, it left another question for Tony. One that he'd mull over on his own for a bit. _Why could she hear Gordy so clearly? _She had stated previously that Weres were very difficult to read, without physical contact anyway.

Tony went back to his son who now donned his pajamas and and just finished brushing his teeth. He told Gory that because Pam was on duty she really shouldn't spend a lot of time with Gordon, she could get into trouble. But they could go outside to give her a quick hug good night. Gordy said he wanted his Pam hug. Tony carried him outside to get it.

The wolves guarding the house and little Thalia watched as Tony exited the house carrying his son. Pam turned to watch too. Gordy said that he wished Pam wasn't working, but that it was okay because at least he could hug her good night. Tony obviously didn't want the bottom of Gordy's pajamas to get dirty, _and she had spectators to play with,_ so Pam took Gory into her arms and gave him a light squeeze. Gordy squeezed back with all he had. She kissed him on the forehead (_did she do that when she tucked him in?) _and handed him back to his daddy.The other guards were so stunned at the unusual display that it would have been the perfect time for an attack. _Thank God no one did. Of course, potential attackers might have been stunned by it too. _Father and son went back inside.

Gordy asked Amy if she could tuck him in. Amelia looked at Sookie. Sookie had a lot more experience with children than she did. Sookie chuckled and said that that was going to change soon enough, and that the little boy had really missed _her_ not Sookie. A few minutes later the contented sound of a boy being attacked by a tickling monster could be heard throughout the house. Right after that, Amy sang a silly song. _Did she make it up? _Auntie Amy came out a few minutes after she finished the song.

Amy said that she hoped to get on with her own child half as well as she did that sweet child sleeping in his room. She thought that Tony made it look so easy.

Tony said that it wasn't a matter of easy or hard, it was doing what needed doing. To think about parenting as easy or hard would be a slippery slope; most items on a list would end up in the "hard" category. You just couldn't think of it that way. Living in a pack neighborhood as a pack member helped tremendously. There were certain problems that he'd never face as a result. The pack took care of its members. Of course, that meant that sometimes _you_ took care of pack members; everyone played a part.

Amelia was tired. She was reluctant to be the first to turn in, but she did. Diantha, Sookie and Tony watched the evening news. A woman was taken into custody and then taken to a psychiatric facility after an investigation, instigated by relatives, revealed that she illegally gave her baby daughter to another woman. The Pennsylvania woman was known to be into the occult and had been institutionalized prior to this incident. All the woman will say at this point is that she gave her child to a powerful magical being. Relatives of the young woman believe that it happened while she was in New Jersey. The young mother told her family that she was visiting friends in New Jersey, left and spent a week there and returned after apparently having given birth to her child. When asked where her child was, she simply answered that the child was "home." Credit card receipts put her in the Atlantic City vicinity at the time she would have given birth, but there were no hospital records. There was a phone number at the bottom of the screen should a viewer have any information leading to the location of the child.

An on-location anchor asked people what they thought about the situation. Most thought that it was a case of a desperate family or woman taking advantage of a mentally ill person so that she could have a family of her own. A couple wondered if she killed her own child. The Atlantic City mayor assured the viewers that the police would get to the bottom of it. There was even a statement from the so-called Queen of New Jersey, Queen Levana saying that it was "a dreadful thing to not know what has happened to a loved one. Vampires would never rest until they knew what had happened to someone that had disappeared, why should the humans? The queen and her staff want to encourage anyone with information to call." The segment ended with local news anchor commenting on how kind the Northern vamp was.

Sookie went into the master bedroom to join Amelia. Tony didn't wish to come off as rude, so he offered Diantha the remaining twin bed. Diantha declined, if his fireplace was big enough she'd start a fire and sleep there; but sleeping on the couch was good too.

Around three in the morning Tony wakened to hear Eric's footsteps. He knew it was Eric, because he sniffed the air. Eric went into the master bedroom and talked to Sookie for a few minutes. The front door opened again, Pam came inside.

Tony got up and walked into the living room to greet Pam, Alcide came in too just as Tony did. Diantha woke up. Eric came into the room after quietly closing the bedroom door.

Alcide asked Diantha if she knew who the closest demon was. Diantha said she would go outside and sniff around some more, no one of her kind were close so she'd have to go out a bit further. She guessed it would be okay since her charge had more guards at night than during the day. _Yeah, well, Alcide didn't really care. He just didn't want her there._

Alcide began by telling them, well, telling Tony that "it has started." The union between the werewolves and the vampires of Shreveport was now officially recognized by Queen Levana. There was a time table. In two weeks time, her vampires and her Weres would come down to Louisiana. Together, they would rise up and take de Castro out. All Weres and all vampires _knew_ about the impending coup against the current vampire regime. They also _knew_ that it was bullshit. Further instructions would come as the time drew near.

Sookie's home would be safe enough in the meantime. She could go home and do whatever it was that needed doing but she'd need to be in a safe location when the shit hit the fan.

Tony woke the next morning to the sound of Amelia retching in the master bathroom. He got up, put on a robe and asked her if there was anything he could do to help. She wished that there was something he could do, that anyone could do. No such luck. It'd be over in a bit.

Tony went back into the guest room to change into the clothes that he'd taken out of his room the day before. Someone was cooking. It had to be Sookie because Gordy didn't cook (and was still in bed) and Amy was still sick in the bathroom. When he came out he saw that Diantha set the table as Sookie cooked the breakfast.

A little birdie had told Sookie that Tony liked blueberry pancakes and country sausage. _That little birdie didn't get to see him eat breakfast very often._ Tony was sure that he hadn't had the ingredients for the breakfast. Pam got them last night, Sookie said. He inhaled the aroma coming from the sausage. His girl knew what kind of sausage he liked, and she didn't eat. The delicious smell woke Gordon.

Gordon was ready to eat before he was out of the bed. No one ate right away. The pancakes were made and placed in the oven to keep warm. They ate after Gordy was dressed for the day and Amelia was well enough to join.

Diantha left soon after breakfast. She told Sookie that she would probably be back in two weeks.

Tony and his son cleaned up as Betty-Ann padded in to collect Gordon. Betty-Ann greeted the group and then asked Amy if she was available on Saturday. Amy had only planned to stay through to tomorrow.

Sookie chimed in and said that Amy could stay with her, it'd be like old times. _Sookie was getting something off of Betty-Ann. It was probably a female thing. _Amy said that she'd need to stay at least on extra day if all of the charms she put on the house were going to work. The potion she made had to sit for three days before it became effective.

Betty-Ann and Sookie tag teamed Amy until she relented. She would stay in Bon Temps, in her old room for a few more days so that she'd still be in the area for whatever Betty-Ann had planned on Saturday.

A happy Betty-Ann left the house with Gordy. Tony and Sookie left soon afterward. Sookie had to work this afternoon and she wanted to check out her house and put her stuff away before heading for work. Amy stayed behind so that she could visit some more of her Were friends during the day. _Sookie would be at work after all._ She'd get a ride back to Bon Temps later.

Guarding Sookie wasn't to be halted for those two weeks, it just wasn't on overkill. Her house and grounds were searched upon arrival. Someone had recently spray painted the gravel at the apron of her driveway. It said "God hates fangs." A little farther up was the message, "Fang-bangers repent." A sniff of the area told him that the perpetrators were human. Probably Fellowship members. _They were like ants in a picnic basket. The damned pests were always around no matter how many got picked off._

There was a smell of panther too. Jason's scent was all over the house and the woods surrounding it. Two other, full panthers had been here too. There was a faint smell of blood near the spray painted gravel.

Tony knew that the other panthers had left, but that Jason was nearby. He found Jason up in a tree, sitting in a hunting seat. Cole, Dwight and him apprehended the humans responsible for the mess on the driveway. Calvin was dealing with them now.

Todd took over the Were guard duty after a couple of hours. Todd would follow Sookie to work and a vampire would take over when she got off.

Tony went back to the Herveaux House. The walls, ceiling and floor to the safe room were all welded together. They were working to smooth out the sections that were welded together. No one would want to buy a safe room that looked like Frankenstein was the model. After that, a door would be installed. Most of the house looked fine. The kitchen area, between the back door and the basement door was another story. The workers would clean it up though. If they didn't Alcide would remind them who they were working for.

He was back in his own home close to lunch time. Amelia had made sandwiches and had cleaned his house. It was spotless. His house was always clean, but now it could have passed a drill sergeant inspection for cleanliness. No wonder she was so tired. Her eyes flitted but she fought sleeping. She did not want to sleep.

Amelia looked at his DVD collection and asked him if he had a system. He didn't. Tony didn't watch DVD's very often. She looked at him with a question in her eye. She could knock herself out if she wanted to. With that, Amy began sorting through his collection.

Tony sent an email to Eric and to Alcide regarding the spray painted message on Sookie's gravel. Then he went outside and did some work in his front yard. He mowed the lawn and clipped the hedges.

When Tony returned to the living room, Amy was nearly done but she was sitting funny. Not ha ha funny. Something was hurting her.

Amelia said that her back had been aching for most of the day, but now she thought she was having contractions. When did the contractions start? Well, she wasn't too sure. At first she thought it was gas, and then maybe cramps. Now she was sure that she was having contractions.

Tony took out his cell and called Pup's school. He was taking Amy to the hospital; he would not be able to pick Gordon up right away. William Pupp said that was fine, Gordy was welcome to stay over if needed. William added that if Amy needed anything, just let him know.

He helped Amy to get up. Did she want to call anyone? If Amy wanted to call anyone it was Sookie, but she was working and couldn't do anything for her anyway. Tony was fairly certain that Sookie wouldn't care about work if she could be there for a friend in need. What about her father? Nope. He didn't do that kind of thing. Neither her nor her father would want him in the room with her; he was a waiting room man. He could just wait at home. What about her Octavia and members of her coven? They were all a good distance away and she hadn't seen much of them since... since Tray died. She'd like it if Pam was there, but it might be too much for the vampire to contain herself. _Plus it was still daylight._ Betty-Ann would come if she wanted. Amelia said that Betty-Ann was a bit too bubbly to handle at the moment. He was sure Ursula Pupp would come if Amy wanted. Ursula has been present for many births and the mothers always seemed to like that she was there. Amy told him that it was just going to be her. And him... but that was because he was her ride.

He walked her out to the truck. She had a tight grip on him as another contraction hit. _Damn! She is strong. _Amy started to double over from the pain. Tony caught her before she lost her balance and fell. He managed to hold her up with one arm and open the truck door with the other. The hospital was only five minutes away. Surely they would make it.


	22. One Fortnight

(22) One Fortnight

Tony called Alcide while they headed toward the hospital. No, her water hadn't broken but she was having really strong contractions and she had been having them for a while. Amy looked at him cross-eyed as he spoke on the phone. When he hung up, she was practically shooting darts at him with her eyes.

The Were explained that werewolves are _extremely _protective of a woman in labor. It is when women are the most vulnerable. Amy was carrying a child with Were blood and she was in Were territory, of course they were going to look out for her and the child.

Tony pulled up to the entrance and they were soon greeted with a handful of staff. Amy was led inside as Tony parked his truck.

On the way back to the building, he called Sookie to tell her that Amy was possibly in labor. Amy gave him the lame excuse that she didn't want to disturb Sookie's work schedule, but he thought she should know. Sookie thanked him for the information and said that she would get there as soon as she could. If there was any change, please call.

Amy was being asked about her medical history and her insurance policy when Tony entered the building. As a receptionist worked with her a tall, body-builder type, with a mass of wavy black hair entered the room. He came up to Amy and the two hugged. He'd heard that she was in town, but with his shifts at work he hadn't had the chance to see her. Joey was one of the Weres that Tray hung out with on occasion. Amelia pulled back and took a good look at him. She had forgotten that he was a doctor. She always knew him simply as Joey.

Dr. Joseph Herbert began wheeling Amy to an examination room. As she headed there Tony told her that he was available if she wanted. Joey began asking her about the contractions, when did they start? On a scale of one to ten... Amy looked a bit anxious when she realized that he would be the one examining her, but then a pain hit and she didn't care anymore. _No doubt Joey was called to alert him of her arrival at the hospital, but Amy could choose another doctor if she wanted._

Darkness had descended, but there was no word on Amelia or the baby. Pam came in and asked what was going on. Tony didn't know yet. Tony wasn't the father and he wasn't family, the hospital didn't have to tell him or any Were anything. Amy did have a Were doctor, but he was still with her. In reality, they hadn't been in the hospital for a long time even though it felt that way.

Pam didn't like being in the dark, she glamoured a nurse that had just come out of the area and the receptionist too. Both were made to believe that Tony was the father, that way he could get the information they all wanted. The nurse said that it appeared that she went into premature labor. An IV was in place, and seemed to be working. The contractions were slowing. The baby seemed to be in fine health.

Sookie came in and commented that there were a lot of Shreveport Weres around the hospital. Eric was at her side. Sookie was brought up to speed. Eric didn't understand why someone would want to force a pregnancy to last longer, he had never heard of such a thing. Sookie would explain later. As best she could.

Sookie was asked to come into the room with Amelia. Eric didn't like staying behind, but he was a good vampire and followed the rules. The blond returned after half an hour to say that Amelia had to stay the night but would be discharged in the morning.

Dr. Joseph Herbert came into the waiting area and quietly spoke to Tony. "I understand that... That you are the father?" Joey's chuckle was so low that only a supe would have caught it. Tony nodded. Pam smirked. "Well then, as the father you should know that mother and child are fine. We need to keep Amy overnight for observation, but barring any unforeseen problems, she can leave in the morning. She can't go back to New Orleans; it's too far a trek. I'm putting her on a travel restriction and bed rest."

Sookie piped in, "She can stay with me."

The doctor shook his head. "Not a good idea. Bon Temps is a good drive from here. The hospital there is adequate for routine procedures, but if anything abnormal should come up this is the hospital you want to be in. Besides, the hospital now has her insurance history and medical history; checking in will be much quicker in the future." _There's also the fact that she is in Were territory._

Tony asked if he could go in to see Amy, and Joey said "sure." Tony walked in to find a sleepy witch watching him approach her. He kissed her forehead and asked how she was feeling. "Tired," was her answer. He told her that he knew she wasn't to go back to New Orleans. She was welcome to stay with him and Gordy. Amy didn't want to be an imposition. The Were scoffed at that and told her that helping family was never an imposition and he considered her family. Amy choked up and said she'd think about it. He left the room for her to rest. Alcide came in as he walked out.

Sookie announced that she wanted to spend the night in the hospital with her friend. As there was another bed in her private room, Dr. Herbert allowed it. Eric wasn't thrilled about it but was kind nevertheless. The hospital was crawling with Weres and he'd stationed some of his vamps nearby, so she'd be safe.

Eric kissed his wife and took off. He'd be back later with some toiletries for her and a change of clothes.

Alcide came out and motioned for Tony to walk with him. They walked out into the night air. Alcide told Amy that she pretty much had the pick of her house should she want to stay with pack members. She told him that she was thinking of going to a hotel. If she stayed with a pack member, it'd be Tony. Or maybe Todd, but Todd lived closer to Bon Temps. And she already had a bunch of her crap at Tony's place. He knew that Tony had offered to let her stay, but didn't know what she'd choose to do.

Tony would encourage her to stay. He thought that Sookie probably would too. Maybe even Pam. If she did stay, he'd replace the twin bed in the guest room with a queen. It was fine for a few nights, but after that sleeping with the legs dangling off the end just got annoying. Alcide responded by saying that he'd have a new bed delivered tomorrow.

Tony, Pam and Alcide left the hospital. Pam and Tony went back to his place while Alcide went wherever he needed to go.

Pam told him that she'd leave her car for him to use. Sure he could fit Amelia and Sookie in the front of his truck, but it wasn't roomy and Amelia might want to stretch out in the back.

They entered the home and quickly realized that they had the place to themselves. Gordy was still at Pup's Place. It was late when they left the hospital, so Gordy would stay the night. All house guests were in the hospital or out of the house.

Tony drew a bath in his master bedroom. Pam pulled out clean towels. They bathed together and talked about recent events and the changes happening amongst their groups. Tony was excited for Amelia and could just imagine their kids playing together, and him giving Tray's child a wolf-back ride. The conversation turned in another direction when Pam said that she was looking forward to a ride of her own.

The drying off procedure that they had created was always exciting. Tonight it seemed even more so, perhaps because they hadn't been together in a few nights. Once they were mostly dry, they stumbled over to the bed in the master bedroom. The sheets had been changed earlier in the day and still had a fresh scent. They kissed and fondled each other on the bed before Pam stood up and pulled Tony to her. He had a question in his eyes.

"Come with me," she said as she pulled him out of the master bedroom. She led him to the guest room that he had slept in the past couple of days. She pushed him onto the small bed. "I wanted to fuck you that night I found you in this bed, reeking of garlic." She smiled. "But you stank worse than a wet dog." _And Sookie, Amelia, and Eric were there too. Not a problem for the supes, probably not for Amy either, but very likely a problem for Sookie. "_Now I will claim you. I will have you. Here."

Her hands and mouth traveled his body with wild abandon. He was at full mast in no time, but Pam slowed down a bit to keep him there. When it was evident that he was not going to be able to contain himself any longer, Pam lowered herself onto him. His roaming hands began heading south, she bated them away. "Not yet," she told him.

After a few minutes, Tony told her that he intended to repay her in kind. She expected nothing less. He got up, she wrapped herself around him and he carried her back to the bigger bed. The proceedings resumed.

Both mouths and sets of hands moved in a blur. When Pam's hands headed south, he batted them away. No. This time, he could go south but not her. He teased her. She began to squirm. He teased some more and her body arched. Tony continued playing with her until she was literally begging for him to enter her. To her relief he finally complied with her requests.

While he was inside her, she moaned. Then she groaned, "bite me." Had he been free from the raging hormones, he might have questioned it. Instead he bit the top of her left breast and sucked on the wound. _Holy...fu--ck--ing, shiiiit!_

Tony was panting liked he was in the marathon of his life, or running for his life. Her insides squeezed him so tight he saw stars. He couldn't even think with complete words. He thought he might die and at the moment he didn't care. What could possibly be a better way to go?

After what seemed like an eternity of bliss, reality began to sneak back in. It was so intense that it seemed to last infinitely longer than it did.

Drowsiness overcame him as waves of pleasure continued to ripple through his body. He was aware of Pam's kisses. He heard her say something before she kissed his Johnson and again before she kissed his lips. Whatever she said, it didn't register. His world went dark as she pulled the covers over him.

Tony woke to the sound of the alarm going off and the touch of Pam stroking his chest. "You should know that the effects of having my blood will be much stronger this time. The effects are reduced a bit if the blood is needed for healing." They stared at one another for a moment. "Yes darling, my dear fur-ball. Last night, you gave me the best sex of my life." He looked at her, not quite believing. "I'm serious. You're a great lover. You have been each time we've been together. But last night was off the charts."

He smiled at her and kissed her. _Hmm. Drinking vampire blood during sex. That was intense._ "Any time you want the special treatment, it'll be my pleasure." Yup. It would be a pleasure to do that again.

"Thank you." She gave him a tender kiss. "It will have to be a while though. There is a limit to how much you can take and still remain... normal."

The two got up from the bed and made it up. Tony got dressed as Pam began cooking sausage. He came out and looked at her in disbelief. Pam picked up the package and read the instructions, then asked if she had missed something. No, what she was doing was fine. But why was a vampire cooking food? She was cooking because an infusion of her blood would make him hungrier than normal, for both food and sex. _Wink, wink._ At the moment she was stuck with cooking sausage, she'd have to look up how to cook eggs or pancakes or toast.

Tony took out a slice of bread and put it in the toaster. Pam watched. She was impressed with the tiny appliance. How long have humans had such a device? That would have been handy when she was alive. She wondered if toasters were invented after microwaves; the invention of TruBlood saw to it that vampires knew how to use microwaves even if all other cooking appliances were foreign to them.

The Were ate the toast with some Jam and then ate the cooked sausage. She had cooked more than what he'd normally eat. He ate it all before he even realized it. Yup. A hearty appetite.

Pam needed to go. The sun would be up soon. A delivery truck would be coming by around nine o'clock with the new bed frame and mattresses. Alcide and Pam spoke late last night while Tony was asleep; she even helped him do some shopping. _Uh-oh. _Pam smiled, kissed him goodbye and ran off.

Tony spent the next few hours preparing the house. He took the twin bed out of the guest room and put it out on the back porch. He polished the bedroom floor. He went to check on the closet to see if items ought to be removed. Instead he found an assortment of Amelia's clothes. _Did that mean?..._ Yup. Pam had put some clothes in the chest-of-drawers too. Most of what he saw had a new smell to it. Shopping. Pam said that they'd done some shopping.

Right on time, a queen sized bed frame and mattresses were delivered to the house. A rocker was put in too. The workers left about twenty minutes before Betty-Ann arrived.

Betty-Ann came in with a few bags in her arms. She had come over with sheets, a blanket and comforter set for the queen size bed. She also had linens to go in the cradle when it got here. Betty-Ann washed all linens with a special detergent that she brought with her. The sheets for the cradle were placed on a high shelf in the closet and the other sheets were placed on the new bed along with the blanket and new comforter set.

The young Were had heard that Amy was placed on bed rest. That would mean that certain activities were limited or even banned. The Shreveport bitches were hoping to give her a shower on Saturday but Joey thought that would be a bit much. Would Tony object to them bringing the party to Amy? No. Not at all. He'd heard about it, even the guys were looking forward to it. Many figured it'd be okay to stop in toward the end and say "hello." There was the cradle too. _Did she know of that tradition? It wasn't a Were tradition, but it was a Shreveport Were tradition._

It was nearing the time for Amy to be released. Tony left the house to Betty-Anne's devices.

He returned a while later with Amy and Sookie. There were four other Weres too, but that was because they were guarding Sookie and the pregnant Amy. The pack mates stationed themselves outside as Amy and Sookie came in. Amy was relieved to see that she wasn't staying in the master bedroom anymore and that the new bed was roomy.

Amy checked on her stewing potion and pronounced it to be perfect. Now she could finish casting protection charms on the house. Betty-Ann said "absolutely not." Amy was on bed rest, she was not to be working. Amelia started getting huffy. Tony intervened before her blood pressure went up too high.

Amy had limits on her, yes. But she could still do some things. No strenuous exercise, lifting that sort of thing. She could partake in non-strenuous activities for up to half an hour a few times a day.

Amy had a compromise. Betty-Ann would do what was needed with the witches brew while the witch cast her spells. Betty-Ann accepted and the two went to work. The young Were looked at the clock, she was not going to let them work one second longer than thirty minutes.

Sookie pulled Tony aside and thanked him for being such a great friend to Amy. Amy really appreciated that Tony had offered to go into the delivery room with her. She also read that Amy was scared while she was in there with just the nurses and doctor and was kicking herself for not allowing him in. She talked to Amy about it; Amy would like Tony to be there if Sookie couldn't be. But he was to stay up near her head. The telepath had to leave. She had a shift at Merlotte's tonight. If anything happened with Amelia, she expected a phone call immediately.

Sookie hugged Amelia goodbye and said her farewells to the others before heading back to Bon Temps. Todd was her chauffeur slash body guard for the next couple of hours.

The next few days passed without any major events. Gordy went to preschool and came home with loads of stories to share and objects to show. The women neighbors came by frequently to visit with Amy. Tony had another tense conversation with his parents, who claimed to be back in Texas even though the caller ID suggested otherwise. He called them on it and the conversation went to hell from there. Tony still worked the early morning guard shift, starting shortly before dawn.

Saturday came and Amy was picked up by a couple of Weres and taken to a spa. Pam had bought her a prenatal massage.

The female Weres invaded Tony's home and plastered baby-themed items all over. Trays of food were brought in, much of it was made by the Weres attending. A beautiful cake with Anne Geddes style babies was set on a counter. The cradle was brought in, covered and hidden. She would see it when the men came.

The evening went off without a hitch. Amy returned from her time at the spa well rested and relaxed. All of the Shreveport female Weres were there upon her return. So was Pam. Sookie was there too and she had brought Octavia Fant with her. Amy was in a sweet state of shock. The women had a great time. At one point, Amy was made to lie on the couch but she didn't complain too much.

After a while, Tony returned to his house. The women all got up and left saying "good night" to Amy. Sookie, Pam, and Octavia didn't know the protocol for whatever was happening but they followed the women outside and stood in the yard and waited while the others left.

Once the women were gone, the Shreveport men went inside. They each greeted Amy. Most then stood along the perimeter of the room, in the kitchen or behind the couch. Tony, Todd, Alcide and Joey all left the living room for a moment and came back carrying an item that was covered by a sheet.

Alcide explained that it was a custom for a Shreveport Were father-to-be to create a cradle for his children. He would present it to his woman after her baby shower. Tray would have done this if he were around. This cradle was made by the Shreveport males on his behalf. They lifted the sheet.

Amy was beyond words. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. The gesture was beautiful. So was the craftsmanship. She could never thank them enough. She began to get up; she wanted to hug each one.

Alcide said he figured that she'd had enough excitement. They could come to her for the hug. Besides, he didn't want her blaming him if she went into premature labor again. Normally Amy would have argued, but she was too tired.

The men came over to her, she hugged each one and each hugged back, and then they left for home. After the last Were hugged Amy, Octavia came in and bid her "good night." Louis was waiting for her in their car. Pam and Sookie came back inside too. Before Octavia left the house, she and Sookie looked at the stunning cradle. Sookie blurted out, "they made it! It looks like it was made for a royal baby or something... Wow!" Octavia said a blessing over the cradle and then left.

All that remained were Sookie, Pam, Tony and Amy. Gordy spent the night at a friend's house. Amy thanked everyone all over again. She got up and started to pick items off of the coffee table as she yawned. Pam admonished her, Amy didn't need to be cleaning up after them; she was on bed rest. Besides, Amy didn't create the mess, her hosts did.

With that, Pam led Amy into the guest room where she got ready for bed. She brushed her teeth while Sookie and Tony cleaned the remaining mess. There really wasn't too much to it. Shreveport Weres were pretty good at not leaving a mess behind.

The phone rang. Tina from across the street was calling. Gordon was staying with her son Larry, a friend from school. Tina said that Gordon was having an awful nightmare. She thought he might need to be with his daddy.

Gordon hadn't had such awful nightmares in a while now. He dashed across the street to get his son, who was awake with fright. Tony held onto his son and assured him that everything was fine.

They came back into the house. Tony had an apologetic face. He thought that Sookie would have her own bed since Gordy was spending the night. Sookie told him that the couch would be fine. Before Tony could argue, Amelia told her that the queen had plenty of room. And so it did.

Gordon calmed down after getting hugs from Sookie, Amelia and Pam. Amelia sang a silly song for him, Sookie read him the new book that he liked (Oobleck was fun to play with) and then daddy tucked him in. He requested Pam to come in and tuck him in too before he went back to sleep.

Amelia turned in shortly after Gordon and was asleep in no time.

Sookie watched the late night news with Tony and Pam before she joined Amelia for sleep. There was another short segment on the Pennsylvania woman and her missing baby, but no new leads have turned up. Tony and Pam went to bed soon after the news ended.

The next week was full of ordinary events. Tony guarded Sookie in the early morning, checked on the progress of the Herveaux House safe room, did food shopping and cooking. Gordon enjoyed a couple of wolf-back rides after school. Tony escorted Amy to a doctor's appointment; the doctor insisted on seeing her once a week until the big day came.

Amy started going stir crazy. Cleaning would normally be an okay activity but not if you were inclined to move heavy furniture as she was. Pam taught her some basic knitting, so that helped take the edge off a little bit. Sookie kept tabs as best she could.

The barmaid made a point to work as many hours as she could since she didn't know when she might need to take off to be with her friend in the hospital.

Tony and Pam enjoyed one another when the witch and the child slept. One night they were a bit too demonstrative and woke up Amelia. The poor thing was sick for half an hour before she was well enough to go back to sleep. _Oops._

As the close of fourteen days, many New Jersey vampires and werewolves filtered into the area. The "plan" was to attack de Castro and his people while de Castro was in Area One to check on Louisiana in person. The Weres checked in with Alcide as per werewolf custom. The New Jersey vampires did the same with Eric. Both leaders knew where each registered visitor would be stationed during his/her stay in Louisiana. They also assumed that some visitors had come in unregistered; it was only common sense.

Queen Levana knew it would be too risky to try anything while de Castro was still in Nevada; so the attempted coup had to take place in an area that was not yet firmly in his control. All of the underlings, on both sides, were anxious for the main event. The Shreveport group knew that what the visitors expected to happen was not what the Shreveport sups intended; but Tony had yet to hear of the real plan.

Tensions rose as the take-over neared. The supes weren't only ready for a fight, but many disliked their New Jersey "guests." The Jersey vampires treated the werewolves more like lackeys than friendly associates. The New Jersey wolves all seemed to see the vampires as their "Alpha." The Jersey Were/vampire dynamic disgusted the Shreveport pack; _a Were subservient to a vampire!_

The Shreveport Weres had more interaction with the Jersey vampires than they did the Jersey Weres. Interaction with the other Weres was minimal. _The queen probably didn't want her pets getting any ideas by watching a real pack at work. _

Arrangements were made for Amelia to use a safe room in a newly constructed house while the "coup" took place. Alcide would show Tony where it was and they would discuss what the ladies would need while inside. Alcide could easily have told Tony the location and left it at that. His showing it off meant that there was a reason. _That was probably where Alcide would tell Tony the "real" plan. But what about the other pack members?_ He might have found a way to tell the other members already.

Sookie originally was going to stay in Compton's safe room, but demanded a change; she would stay with Amelia. To Eric's dismay she was able to successfully argue that both she and her friend were to stay in a safe room, why not together? Her main reason was that there weren't any phones or cell reception. If Amy should need help, the only way anyone would know would be through Sookie. Eric didn't care to be a supernatural messenger boy, but he chose not to fight her on it. _Not in front of witnesses anyway._

Amy had her weekly check up one day early; the next day would be the big take down. Supplies needed to be gathered, the safe room had to be readied. The packs' pups would go to Pup's School; the school guards would be in place before the take down. And Alcide showed Tony the safe room.

As suspected, Alcide told Tony what he needed to know during the fight tomorrow while they were inside the safe room. The thick walls would prevent any unwanted eavesdropping. The overall plan was no big surprise, but some of the details were. It would all start when the sun was at its peak and the vampires were at their weakest.


	23. The Big Letdown

(23) The Big Let-down

Tony woke up without the aid of his alarm clock. Pam had gone to her coffin for the day and the two friends slept in Amelia's room while Gordy slept in his own. There was no need for the alarm clock since the telepath was dropped off shortly before her husband went to his coffin for the day. There was no doubt as to what the two had been doing before she arrived.

Sookie knew all too well that supes had a keen sense of smell. Between the two of them, Sookie was less likely to smell of sex when she went out. The scent came from both of them last night. _Eric must've planned it so that there would not be time for a post coital shower. _If Sookie ever encountered a vampire or two-natured being that person would know that she had been with a vampire. _Eric wanted to advertise that evidently. Maybe she planned to shower in the morning, but there'd be no time which Eric must've realized._

While thinking of scents, Tony pressed his face into the sheets and inhaled Pam's. He almost wished he hadn't done that. The man loved her aroma, but she wasn't there. Her "allergy to daylight" was lethal. No time for pining, Tony got up.

The Pam-scented sheets were quickly discarded in the trash as the sheets didn't survive their early morning encounter. There was no time to get fresh sheets and make the bed, so the comforter was placed over it unmade.

He dressed quickly and made coffee. He woke Gordon, knowing that the ladies would soon wake up themselves. As the coffee brewed Tony and Gordon put clothes on Gordy. The ladies were up and moving by the time Gordy was dressed. They'd be leaving in forty minutes.

Amelia spent the better part of thirty minutes sick in the bathroom while Sookie took care of their items in the bedroom. At one point Sookie went into the master bathroom and started to run the shower, but then turned it off. _She obviously noted the time._ She used the master bath to take care of her other needs and then returned to Amelia. By the time they were done and both dressed, Tony had breakfast ready.

The group ate rather quietly and finished with a few minutes to spare.

Betty-Ann arrived to take Gordy and a handful of Gordy's things. He was excited to have another sleep-over. Near the same time Gordy and Betty-Ann left, Alcide and Joey came in.

The three Weres quickly brought the ladies' items into Pam's car or the back of Alcide's truck. The group went to a newly constructed home, in the heart of Were territory.

The home was large with beautiful white columns on either side of the entrance and three floors above ground and one below. Huge trees surrounded the house and driveway. The inside was sparse in the extreme. There were a couple of chairs in the living room and a cot too. The only other furniture was downstairs, in the safe room.

The safe room was built before being placed in the basement and the house constructed on top. The room was as safe as safe could get. It was cramped, but there were two twin beds in the room. One was on top of the other. One corner had a portable commode and a curtain was hung so that it could be pulled for privacy. _Human women seemed to be bothered by the idea of relieving oneself with others near. Why did it bother them so much? Surely they knew that almost all living beings had to pee and shit. Kinda like breathing, it was necessary. It was just another human female thing that just wasn't going to be understood._

Items were brought into the safe room. The ladies would have a DVD player and I-pods, a few books, a couple of battery powered lights, many batteries, a cooler full of food and drinks. The worst part of being in the safe room would be the small size of the room.

Before leaving, Alcide pointed to the alarm in the room and to the oxygen tanks. They were instructed on how to release oxygen into the room when it was needed, and how to keep track of how much oxygen was being released.

Since Joey was both a Were and Amy's doctor, Joey would be on house duty while the fight went down. There were other Weres nearby too.

The door was shut and the locks set in place. Tony handed Joey Pam's car keys as he and Alcide got into the truck.

The truck stopped at a casino hotel in Bossier. It was one of the major area hotels that had facilities catering to vampire's needs. Though not the fanciest hotel in the world; the Bossier casino hotel was the most refined in the area. It was where de Castro and his entourage were sleeping today.

De Castro was on a tour of his Kingdom, officially. More often than not his sheriffs, advisors, business associates and what-not's were made to come to him to pay tribute. But not this week, this week the King of Nevada, Louisiana and Arkansas was taking his own tour. Tonight, he'd oversee area five. He was careful with his hotel selection; certain establishments went to great lengths to make sure that their clientele were pleased so that no scandal would ruin a much earned reputation for being the best. He also wanted a hotel with some vampire staff, the night manager was an area five vampire. The hotel had great security; a keycard would tell who was opening what door where and at what time; security cameras were everywhere except inside the rented rooms and rest rooms and more than half the security personnel were werewolves.

Alcide and Tony moved toward the entrance, each carrying a large bag. The leader went to the reception desk to check in. He was given a keycard and instructions on how to find the room.

The room was on the twenty-fifth floor. Only a couple elevators went up to that floor and you had to have the right type of keycard to even get into one of those elevators.

The two entered the room and were greeted by Lawrence. Lawrence was a New Jersey Were. The Were was scruffy looking and normally his pants were down around his thighs, held there by a belt with a long shirt over his boxers. Today he was dressed as a maintenance man. Lawrence was Levana's top dog.

The three of them nodded to one another and got to work. They pulled out wooden stakes, and a couple short swords. Lawrence assured them that the rest of the queen's pack was ready to go too. This was a coordinated attack not only against de Castro, but his top aides and closest consorts. De Castro and his regime would be gone before the sun set. All they had to do now was wait for the "systems failure."

The hotel's electricity would suffer a major malfunction in a matter of minutes. When it did, the inner corridors and rooms would go dark and the security cameras would switch to an auxiliary power supply. There would be just enough time during the power switch for the Were stationed at the security desk to do what he needed so that the cameras appeared to operate normally. He would watch the action and provide feedback if necessary, but nothing would be recorded... well nothing that was really happening would be recorded.

The lights in the room shut off. The ventilation system near the window stopped humming. The mini refrigerator also stopped its' low hum. No light came in through the doorway from the hall. In just a matter of seconds, a low level of light filtered the room. The emergency system had kicked in.

A voice sounded on the radio that Lawrence carried. All was clear. They were good to go. Remember, keep de Castro alive if possible; the queen wants to kill him herself. Lawrence responded to the call and then turned the radio down.

Alcide, Tony and Lawrence went into the hallway and then to the door next to theirs. Lawrence slid a card through the keycard slot and opened the door. There were five Weres inside the suite. They Weres outside could now smell them. Lawrence peeked inside, and then looked to Alcide silently telling him that the Weres were not visible. Alcide gave Tony the command to go in. Tony quietly went inside. Suddenly Tony let out a cry for help and there was a thud against the wall.

Lawrence was sent in next, with Alcide right behind him. Lawrence very quickly found himself bound and shackled. In a number of areas of the building, New Jersey Weres found themselves in a bind. Lawrence started to protest. Alcide took a rag and shoved it into his mouth, saying "we'll talk later."

The Jersey Were was tossed into an industrial size laundry basket and covered. While in the service elevator, the box stopped its decent for a minute while one of Lawrence's pack was tossed in with him. They made it to a service door and the Weres were placed inside a van with blackened windows. The van left. It would go to a building that now served as sort of Were incarceration facility.

Tony and Alcide went to the fifth floor, opened the door and found what they were looking for. The Weres took the coffin and brought it up to the King's room. Other coffins were brought up to the top three floors too. Victor Madden's coffin went into the room that Alcide had originally acquired. Before leaving the room, Alcide damaged the coffin a bit near the seal. The coffin would not open easily when Madden woke; he might have to destroy the top to get out.

The two Were's left the room; Tony went into the hallway to assume guard duty while Alcide disappeared into an elevator going down as he used his cell to inquire about the progress thus far. The wolves were active all over the place, and not just in Louisiana.

As darkness descended, the Weres became even more alert. Eric was the first to arrive. Thalia came along not long after Eric. Victor Madden sluggishly pushed on his coffin lid. A large group of Weres, including Tony joined Alcide in de Castro's suite.

De Castro stood in the center of the room. The other vampires that had entered were in another room. Human-form werewolves surrounded de Castro. Alcide held a stake. Two others held silver. The radio beeped in a pattern that told them the queen was awake and headed their way. The wolves began to growl and snap menacingly at de Castro.

Queen Levana entered the room and told her dogs to shut it. She didn't look at her wolves; the queen only had eyes for de Castro. Levana thanked him for making it so easy. This was her easiest take over yet. She couldn't believe that it had taken her so long. Obviously she hadn't met the right people so she could press the right buttons. De Castro had been a thorn in her side for centuries and now he would die by her hand, knowing that all he held dear would be hers; she'd get all of his territories and assets. Levana couldn't decide which of her gains she was most proud of. There were the Vegas casinos that racked in a lot of dough, his Were's would make excellent guard dogs once they were properly trained and there was the telepath. True, the telepath was bonded to another but now he owed his queen fealty. If the vampire refused to allow Levana unrestricted access then she'd have to kill him so as to set an example for the others; then she'd take the telepath to do as she pleased. Queen Levana would make sweeping changes in her new Queendom.

Levana was so busy spewing her own thoughts that she didn't notice the wolves surrounding her. Not until she got nervous that is. De Castro actually looked bored during her tirade, which made her furious and then afraid as she realized that he wasn't backing down or trying to escape.

She ordered that someone was to give her stake, and the others were to surround her prey. No one obeyed either command. The queen threatened the wolves, saying that they were expendable. Someone had better give her the fucking stake and then she wanted proof that the king's entourage was gone. Finally the stupid queen began to take in the scene.

The wolves were staring at her with a blood-lust only supernatural beings could know. She began backing toward the door, but it was blocked by wolves. The queen saw an opening to another room. Before she could go to it, members of de Castro's entourage silently filtered in. His second in command was absent, but Victor Madden's second in command was there in his place.

De Castro wanted to take Levana back to a more secure location to "talk" before he doled out her punishment. He ordered Sandy to secure the new prisoner. Sandy obediently approached Levana. As she did, Levana reared up and started yelling that it was a fucking set-up. She should have known that de Castro was behind the whole scheme, it was just too easy. She yelled, "I should have known better than to believe..." Her sentence was cut off as she was staked. Levana stared at her killer with a look that said volumes. The queen tried to say something before turning to dust but nothing would come out.

The king was incensed. He had wanted to interrogate Levana before killing her. What the fuck was Sandy thinking? Sandy apologized. She was wearing new equipment and the stake on her arm was accidentally launched as she handled the queen. De Castro ordered her to take the contraption off and hand it to Roshane. Roshane was a massive, dark black statue-of-a-god and a vampire security agent. Roshane took the device and escorted Sandy out of the room.

De Castro ordered one of his vampires to find out who Levana's maker was, if need be call William Compton for help. Eric interjected, saying that it would not be necessary. Eric killed Levana's maker a little over two hundred years ago at the behest of the council; her maker was too careless in his ways and did not raise his new vampires properly. It had become a problem for the vampire community and the council sought the Viking warrior to end his existence.

With stiff form, de Castro thanked Alcide and his pack. They were a credit to wolves everywhere. Alcide accepted the kudos, and inquired about the wolves remaining in New Jersey. De Castro said that he had no qualm with them so long as they heeded the new monarchy. Alcide, as tactfully as possible, explained the unique situation with the New Jersey Weres. De Castro was intrigued with the idea of being the leader of a pack of werewolves, but he had little time for such things. If they truly needed a new pack-leader, it would have to be a Were that worked well with the vampires. And, Alcide added, could work with those _particular_ Weres. They would talk more about it in another day or two was the response given.

The Weres began to vacate the room. Alcide paused; clearly something was on his mind. Eric asked him what bothered him. Alcide said, "We've gotten far enough involved with you vampires. It was a Were that got this going, but she's gone now and so is the other one. What happens now is not pack business."

Eric darted in front of Alcide, blocking his exit. "If it relates to tonight's events, we have a right to know. We agreed on collaboration. Remember?"

"Yes. We collaborated. That deadhead went down easy." He emphasized easy. He obviously felt that there was more to whatever had happened.

Everyone felt that it had gone easily. Many had even said as much. Eric pressed. He wanted to know what else bothered Alcide.

Alcide made it clear that he didn't want to be called before a vampire court or any such shit. It was just an observation. De Castro nodded and told him that if the information should go to court, de Castro could enter it himself as a proxy. What bothered Alcide was that Victor's second in command, Sandy, adjusted her sleeve right before the stake jutted out. The aforementioned "adjustment" looked a whole lot like a button or trigger being pressed. The remaining vampires' fangs snicked out as Alcide related his observation and then departed.

Tony had waited for Alcide in the hallway. They walked toward the elevator when Eric approached. He asked them if either had seen Victor Madden. The last Alcide knew of Madden, he was in his coffin, in the room next to de Castro's. Jacques and Darrell were guarding his coffin when he left. Oh, and there had been a little bit of damage to the coffin so Madden might have had a time getting out. Eric smiled at that. He hated the bastard.

Alcide turned back to go to Madden's suite. He still had a keycard, so he used it to enter the room. No one was inside. The coffin had been busted open and Madden's scent went out the window.

A phone call to Darrell told him that Madden left out the window so he could do a surprise attack on a member of Levana's entourage. No, Madden did not say who it was or where he was going only that he was doing what needed to be done.

The King entered the hallway and beckoned Eric. Roshane had quite a bit of success with Sandy already. Madden had planned for Levana and de Castro to kill one another off and then take all the riches for himself. According to Sandy, he was particularly interested in Northman's human.

Just then Eric's phone rang. "I have your child," the caller said. Eric didn't respond. "You will do as I command or your darling child will die a final death. Then I will take your human. She will be mine." Eric growled. The voice continued, "Your telepath will be broken. She will gravel like all other humans and she will thank me after I use her body and fuck her within an inch of death."

Eric was seething. "For those words alone, I will dismember you."

"Would that be after I kill your child? Or after I have fucked your woman to death and Turned her?" Madden actually had a playful lilt in his voice. "If you are a good vampire and do as you're told your women might survive. You have three hours to take care of de Castro... do it in that time and your child will continue to walk the earth. If not, I go to the house that your human is in... Oh, and Eric, if you chose to act quickly I might let you have conjugal visits with the telepath when this is over."

* * *

_I know this took me longer to publish than the others have… hey, it's a busy time of year. Also, just minutes after I published the last chapter I learned that my lovely dog died. She was a great fur-ball._

_Thank you for the feedback. I enjoy reading what you have to say… Critiques are welcome. How else can a person improve?_


	24. Maddening

(24) Maddening

If it were possible, Eric would have been shooting death lasers out of his eyes. He was seething. Eric did manage to speak again. "Pam is fast. How do I know that you really have her?" A moment later Pam's voice filtered over the phone; she spoke in a strange language that neither Tony nor Alcide knew. The exchange was brief as Madden didn't like that they spoke whatever language they did. Evidently mister take over didn't understand what they were saying either. Before cutting off the connection, Madden reiterated that the Northman had three hours. Well, less than that actually. The three hours started when Madden initiated the call.

As he returned his cell to its position on his belt, he motioned to Alcide. He wanted Alcide's duffel. He opened it and took out the stake that Alcide had placed back inside after the short confrontation with Levana. Eric told them to leave. They were to go to Sookie's house in Bon Temps.

Confused, Tony looked to Alcide who just nodded and then the two began their exit. Eric was inside de Castro's room before either man had even hit the elevator call button. They could hear Northman roar in anger. Northman yelled that he would protect what was his at all costs. He'd pay whatever price the council deemed fit for his killing Felipe. The two Weres entered the elevator and as the door closed they heard the unmistakable sound of a vampire being staked.

Tony drove to Bon Temps as Alcide called several of the pack to meet them at Sookie's place. Alcide seemed to know something that Tony didn't. That was nothing new as Alcide was the pack leader, but it sure was frustrating. Tony was anxious; he knew that Pam could take care of herself in a fight. But he also knew that she had been caught so there wouldn't be a fight unless she could get away. _She would find a weakness and exploit it. Pam would get away. His girl was fast, she could do it. He knew she could... she'd be safe and then he'd find Madden and rip out his throat before tearing off his limbs... No. He'd listen to Madden's screams as he tore off his limbs, _**then** rip out his throat and finish him by tearing that head off...

Alcide hung up and put his cell away which afforded his cousin to ask why they were headed to Bon Temps instead of Shreveport. His pack master eyed him as he spoke and then cut him off saying, "Northman assigned Pam to Sookie. He knows that Pam would die before letting her master's bonded get hurt, so she was sent to watch over her."

Tony knew for a fact that Sookie was deep in Shreveport pack territory, so Alcide saying what he did indicated two things: One, some or all vampires were lead to believe that Sookie was back home. Two, there could be someone listening in on their conversation. _A bug maybe?_

The truck raced toward Sookie's home. The drive was an eternity too long. Every second was one second closer to Pam, but it was still too far. The urge to howl built inside Tony. Alcide recognized the body language, saying "Shit. How bad is it?" Forcing himself to speak, Tony replied. "She's in pain, but still alive. Pam has been through worse." Okay, technically she was dead, but they both knew what he meant. _Yes, she had been through much worse. But his girl was in pain and that was not acceptable._

They were more than a mile out and could hear the snapping and growling of Weres. Knowing that the majority of Shreveport Weres were in Bossier and Shreveport, Tony was curious. He gave his cousin a questioning look. Alcide gave him a knowing smile in return, _though his smile did look sad somehow._ Tony sniffed the air, the Weres weren't from Shreveport but he did recognize a good number of them. He knew them well and so did Alcide; they belonged to another well-respected and well-liked pack.

There was a standoff in Sookie's front yard. Madden was in the center of it all with two enforces flanking either side of him. He had Pam in his grip. Vampires are very strong and fast. On average, a vampire could kill five or six Weres at a time. When Weres hunted vampires at night, they did so in groups; the older the vampire, the bigger the hunting group. Of course, it helped to know how old the vampire was. Madden's enforcers might be so new as to not even be a match for a single Were, or they could be as strong and skilled as the Viking. _They were likely young and therefore not as big a threat as some; Madden wasn't known in the Supe community until de Castro came into power in Nevada. Only a young, foolish vampire would pledge to be an enforcer to an unknown. _There were over twenty Weres surrounding the vamps. Each side weighed its options. Clearly this meant that the vampires weren't ancient or even old. If they were, they would have thought nothing of engaging in battle with the Weres.

Alcide and Tony exited the truck and slowly took in the scene. Alcide told Madden, "de Castro is dead. Northman took him out seconds after the call. You said that you'd release Pam when the conditions were met."

Victor Madden scoffed. "You expect me to take your word for it dog? No. I need proof. Your sheriff will be here soon to show me the stake with his blood. Then he will get his Child back." Madden caught a scent and smiled. He looked at Pam and then looked at Tony. "Your dog came to you. How sweet. I hear they make loyal companions and heel nicely once properly trained. Don't know that I could stand the dog smell... tell me, does he hump your leg? Of course he does, he is a dog after all. Perhaps I should show him what to do with a two legged creature..." Madden pet Pam and started to lift her skirt. He wanted to rile Tony and it was working.

Tony saw Pam's bloodied form held up by the monster that addressed him. Both dried and drying blood covered her body, Madden had bled Pam quite a bit before any of his brethren came near. Her left leg had broken and set incorrectly. Her right arm above her elbow was broken, and didn't seem to be healing. _She must be extremely weak. _The sight incensed him. "You will leave my woman alone." Tony's tone was menacing and he stepped toward them.

Madden pulled pliers out of his pocket as he laughed at Tony. "You're woman? _You're _woman? A vampire does not belong to anyone, dog. You need to learn your place. Your master should have taught you better." He placed the pliers at the end of her right index finger. Tony prepared to attack, but his pack master commanded him to hold his position. Madden used the pliers to pull off the nail. Tears came to Pam's eyes and stained her face, but she didn't scream. Several of her nails were on the ground. He'd done this to her earlier, and her nails had grown back. "Now be a good dog and help your master. Go inside and get Sookie."

"I cannot and I will not," Was his response.

Madden looked at Pam as he place the pliers on the nail of her middle finger. "Order you dog to do as I command." He yanked the nail off and Pam choked on her pain.

Pam said with a tone of great defiance, "No."

The vampire that had been de Castro's second in command placed his pliers up along a joint, primed to pull off an index finger. "Until you command that dog of yours to do as I say, I will just take more parts away. I'll start with your fingers next, then your hands, followed by your arms, if that doesn't do it then I'll cut off your breasts and press silver into the wounds..." He smiled broadly. Madden was happy with anticipation. "Yes, that should be a nice start."

Vampire blood permeated the air as Eric descended from the sky above holding a bloody stake. De Castro's blood was all over it. Eric showed proof that Madden got what he wanted, he'd give Madden thirty seconds to leave before hunting the vampire for hurting his Child and threatening his bonded. Madden would pay for every hurt that he gave Pam and then some.

Madden scoffed. He was pleased that Eric had taken care of de Castro for him. Madden was too young to take on the King himself, so he found another way to get it done. Now, he found himself in the position to get done something else that he wanted. As de Castro's second in command, the Kingdom fell to him now that de Castro was terminally dead. As king, he was ordering that Sookie Stackhouse be brought to him. He wanted the telepath for her abilities. She was pleasing to the eye too. Tonight, he'd claim her as his prize and fuck her mercilessly.

Madden saw how Tony looked at Pam. He told her that he could keep his master from pain by simply going inside and retrieving his prize from the house. Tony shifted his position and Eric commanded him to stay. Madden was shocked and said so. "You obey Northman, but you reek of his Child and her of you."

"Blood is a powerful thing." Eric said. Pam looked at Tony, as if to tell him something; to get ready to move. Then it dawned on him, it hadn't been too long since he fed from her. He'd only done it twice, but there was a difference. His strength, speed and stamina were greatly increased. Tony would be able to do more damage in a fight than any of his brethren.

Pam added, "He does not obey me or my Maker. I am not his master, I am his." She stared right at Tony as she said it. Her intention in saying that out loud was to get the reaction she did; both sides were stunned. The vampires couldn't believe what they'd just heard, neither could the visiting Weres.

Eric and Tony were upon the five vampires in a flash. Tony went straight for Madden. Eric let him. Tony transformed into his wolf form in record time and gripped the arm holding Pam to him. With one swift jerk of the head, Madden's arm came free from his body. Two of his enforcers were already turning to dust. Another enforcer had a pile of wolves biting and tearing at him. The fourth enforcer was beginning to run. Madden took hold of Pam with his other arm and tried leaving with her as he realized that things were turning bad for him. Tony gripped the other arm and yanked it away too. Pam slumped onto the ground; she had lost a lot of blood and hadn't been able to replenish. Madden came down with her, but she was able to roll away from him. She watched as Tony advanced on Madden again. Madden began to get himself up. Tony bit his leg and kept him down. Tony looked at Pam and then gave Madden a terrifying glare as he positioned his snarling mouth between Maddens legs and tore his manhood away from him. Pam was delighted and smiled as best she could for feeling so awful. Madden's piercing screams were most memorable and Pam would relish in the memory. He continued to scream as Tony tore off each leg. The incessant noise didn't stop until Tony ripped out his throat. Next, he bit down on the neck and shook until the head came free. Madden was no more.

Tony quickly changed back into his human form and went to Pam. Without even thinking about it, he set her on his lap and put his arm out for her to bite. The nearby Weres all stood still in shock at what they were witnessing. Tony's mind began to clear as he realized that Pam was starting to feel a tiny bit better. She had suffered so much that any healing that she did was not yet noticeable. She'd need a lot of blood to revitalize. He called to his pack master and to Eric. There was urgency in his voice. "Something isn't right. Smell him, his body isn't right." Alcide smelled Maddens body as it began to flake away. He looked confused.

Eric approached with the fourth man in his custody and said that his retrieval team was on its way to get his prisoner. Tony repeated that Madden's body didn't smell right somehow. Eric took a whiff and said that the man smelled as bad now as he did before. Alcide called over a couple of Weres, trackers, to take the scent. They all agreed that something was off. No one could tell quite what the problem was, but it was disconcerting. Pam stopped feeding from Tony; she didn't want to weaken him. When she pulled away from him she said, "They're right. Madden smells odd somehow; Almost like he'd been bonded to someone." The Weres nodded that _that_ might be it. But shouldn't there be two distinct scents? They almost thought that there were two scents, but they were so similar; maybe it was just one scent. Something was definitely off.

Tony was desperately trying to figure it out. _How did Madden get Pam? How did he have the time to hurt her so? _Madden was still in his coffin when he and Alcide went to de Castro's suite. Any Were near his coffin knew he was inside, they could smell him._ Why did the fucker not smell right? It didn't make any sense._

All eyes turned to the prisoner. He pleaded ignorance. Eric vowed to find out just how ignorant the former enforcer really was. The younger vampire became even paler as Eric detailed some of the things he thought he'd do to the young one. If it were possible, he'd have peed himself.

The German vampire Kurt came to pick up the prisoner. Kurt was a good half foot shorter than his sheriff, but was muscular with dark brown wavy hair and bright hazel eyes. He wore dress jeans and a designer t-shirt. Kurt pulled on protective gloves before he bound the young vampire with silver. While there Kurt spoke to Eric in German. The were made out only a couple of cognates and Sookie's and Amelia's names.

Eric turned to Pam, Tony and Alcide to inform them that the ladies were never found. The location remained unknown to outsiders. He then added that Pam should rest for the next two days at the least and she should stay at Compton's since it was nearby and had a safe room.

She groaned. Pam did not like Compton. Tony told her that he agreed with her Maker. She was in a weakened state right now. Pam ought to get into a safe room soon as even a regular human could take her in her present state. He'd take her home if he could, but his place wasn't light tight. _If it was he'd guard it with his life and it'd be nearly as good as a safe room._

Alcide put a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "You may use the construction house. The safe room is complete... all the pups are sleeping now so there's no need to come back tonight to pick up Gordy." He smiled. "And don't worry about Amelia. She can survive without you for a day or two; we'll call you if anything changes. We've got everything covered."

Before leaving Eric looked at Tony then at Pam. He said, "I'll be stopping by tomorrow night to speak to you about what happened tonight. For now, I am going back to Shreveport. My bonded is worried and I don't appreciate feeling it." He turned to leave, and then added, "Don't forget what we discussed Pamela." Eric Northman was out of sight in less than ten seconds.

Tony raised a brow at Pam. He was curious about the exchange between her and Eric before Eric departed. Pam simply stated, "Not here." Tony picked Pam up to carry her to the house, Pam said that she wasn't that bad and that she could in fact walk on her own. She made an attempt to get out of his arms but was still too weak to get loose. Pam was upset and nervous that she was still so weak. _Madden must've had a time of her before he called Eric. He couldn't have had her for long, but evidently he knew how to get her weak in a hurry. She's scared. Good lord, his Pam was scared._ Tony gave her a squeeze and said that it wouldn't take him too long to get them to the house.

Tony was so concerned for Pam that he only gave a passing "hello" to his fellow Weres. He began to walk toward the house when massive presence made himself known. Aaron, the pack master of the visiting pack, approached. "So I see that it is true. You've imprinted on her. No wonder they're pissed." He smiled at Tony, and then looked at Pam. "I'm Aaron. This here is my pack; we came to offer assistance... How about a ride?" It was as much a question as it was a command. True, Aaron wasn't his pack master, but he was a respected wolf; _and Tony had known the guy for many years as an upstanding person._

Like many Weres, Aaron had a truck. It was a charcoal grey, workhorse with a large interior. Tony cradled Pam in his lap as the three headed for Herveaux House. Aaron looked at Pam, "Alcide is arranging for you to get some real blood before you die for the day, but I do believe I saw some True Blood in the refrigerator." Pam nodded her head and said thank you with more sincerity than Tony was used to hearing. Nine times out of ten, she was sarcastic when thanking someone for something.

Tony couldn't help but ask, "Have you heard anything from my parents?"

Aaron glanced at Tony, then back at the road. He held onto the wheel with a death grip. Something bad was coming. "Not in a couple of days. They were upset when last we spoke... Something about a blond vampire seducing their son..." he glanced back at Tony holding Pam. "We've known each other for many years, you and me, when I heard about this" he glanced at them again "I was very surprised to say the least... but again, I know you and if you say she's okay then she is." There was an awkward silence as they pulled into the Herveaux House driveway. Tony sensed that Aaron knew something, but it was a tricky thing to get information from an elder wolf, let alone a pack master.

The pack master parked his truck and then regarded his friend the friend's vampire. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Your parents have been abjured." _In that case, Tony was lucky to hear anything about them at all._ Once abjured, it was as though the person or people abjured never existed. Tony's jaw dropped. _His _**parents** _had been abjured? Had he heard right?_ Aaron saw the unspoken question, "They're running with the Dallas pack." _Oh, mother of god. What insanity led them to that? How the... Why... When..._ Tony couldn't think straight.

Pam looked worriedly at her wolf. "Tony?" Tony was reeling from what he'd heard. "What is it? What is wrong?" She glared at Aaron, "What is wrong with him?"

Aaron quietly responded; "Perhaps the worst thing imaginable for one of us." Pam wanted to reach out and attack Aaron for hurting her man this way and for being so cryptic but she was way too weak.

The Texan pack master exited the truck and walked around to open the door for Tony and Pam. Without a word, Tony exited with Pam in his arms. Todd opened the front door as they approached, his smile replaced by worry when he saw his friend's vacant expression. Tony didn't respond to his friend when asked what was wrong. The Were simply continued on his way to bring Pam down to the safe room.

The room hadn't been decorated or furnished beyond the small bed that was hastily moved from one of the rooms upstairs into the safe room there were now in. Todd had put it downstairs just seconds prior to the arrival of Aaron, Tony and Pam.

Todd retrieved some sheets to make up the bed while Aaron found a bottle of True Blood and heated it. Tony cradled Pam as he sat on the unmade bed, staring at a blank wall until Todd came down with the linens. Tony stood, holding Pam, long enough for Todd to make the bed and watch his friend.

Aaron came downstairs and offered Pam the blood in his hands. "Real stuff is on the way." She drank the bottle, but it didn't do much to help her. "You need to have some bones reset." Pam nodded; some of her bones would have to be re-broken before they could set properly.

Above them, they heard the front door open and then close. Alcide and Eric had arrived. They came down the stairs. Alcide carried three full blood bags.

Pam looked at Eric in surprise, "Master."

Eric smiled, "My bonded is doing well except that she is concerned for you. You are still in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, we'll have to cause a bit more before you recover." Pam nodded; she realized that he was referring to the setting of her bones. He looked at Tony's face. "What is wrong with your wolf Pam?"

Before Pam could respond, Alcide looked to Aaron. "You told him?"

Aaron responded, "Yes. He had a right to know."

Eric looked at Tony again and then back at his child, "Do you know of what they speak?" She shook her head, she had no idea; but her expression made clear that she was more than curious.

Aaron pointed to Pam and said, "Perhaps we ought to take care of more immediate concerns first." With that they agreed. Eric went to Pam to take her from Tony's arms, but Tony didn't release her. Eric didn't wish to struggle with Tony for her because that would only further harm her. He was able to grab her broken arm, which was slowly starting to mend incorrectly. Placing both hands near the break, he broke it again. Tony roared in anger as tears streaked Pam's face.

Pam looked at Tony and told him that she was okay; that her Master, the two pack masters and his friend were all there to help. Nothing was wrong. Everything was fine. Pam would have continued to soothe him, except Eric shoved her much needed blood in her face and commanded her to drink it before continuing to soothe her dog. She finished one bag of blood and the break started to fuse back together as it should. Pam turned into Tony as best she could and kissed him. She needed him to come back to her. Pam needed him to help her get better.

Something inside Tony's head snapped back into place and his face, though sullen, was no longer vacant. This time, when Eric reached for his child, Tony cooperated. Tony helped to hold Pam in place as her other bones were re-broken so that they could set into a proper position. His insides cringed when he heard her bones break, even more so with the last bone when she screamed. Pam had choked on a lot of her pain, but she could only silently endure so much. _He wanted to take it all for her. If he could suffer this for her, he would. He didn't kill Madden slowly enough._

Once the other bones were in place, Eric gave her more blood. He didn't want her to move before any of the bone started to fuse, so he brought the blood to her lips. He asked that the wolves leave them for a few minutes.

The wolves went upstairs and quietly sat for ten minutes before the doorbell rang. Thalia had arrived with a cooler full of blood. Thalia was told that two or three bags should be kept in the cooler with Pam during the day.

The Northman came up the stairs and looked at Thalia with interest. She said, "Brought some blood for Pam." He eyed the lot and raised a brow. "Your human is very well connected."

Now he was surprised. "My Sookie arranged this? I knew she liked Pam." He smiled broadly. "Hmm, I'll need to cancel the order that is on its way. It would be way more than necessary and there isn't enough space."

Thalia told Eric what doctor Ludwig had instructed her; the vampire needed lots of blood. "Dr. Ludwig said that at least one pint of fresh blood per broken bone is needed to start the healing process. She shouldn't move at all until certain that the bones have fused. The vampire might be too uncomfortable to sleep well during the day and may need to drink between hours of rest... this depends on how depleted the vampire is and how soon a recovery is to be made." She looked at her Sheriff. "Dr. Ludwig does not know which vampire was harmed, only that it is someone mistress Stackhouse knows."

"And you did this for her?" Her sheriff asked.

"I did it for Pam. She is your second in command sheriff and I respect her." Eric stared at her. "Nor is it wise to upset your bonded."

Eric beamed, "Indeed it is not."

The vampires placed the majority of the blood in the refrigerator and left some in the cooler and brought the cooler into the safe room.

Before leaving, Eric wanted to know who had the safe-room access code. He wanted assurance that his child would be safe, he trusted that Tony would protect her but Tony was just one Were. Alcide responded that at the moment, he was the only one that knew the combination. So that others wouldn't hear, Alcide wrote it down for Eric to look at. _The codes could be changed in the future. _Tony looked at it next. The small slip of paper was then set over a candle to catch fire. No one present would willingly betray the pack to get to the vampire, but the fewer beings that had the information the better off they were. When Eric was satisfied, he went outside with Thalia and launched off.

Tony went into the safe room and asked Pam if he could get her anything. She responded that she didn't need anything at the moment, but in a while she'd be craving blood again. Vampires were more thirsty than normal when they were healing.

Aaron and Alcide remained upstairs as Todd came down and stood on the bottom step, asking if it was okay to enter. Todd came in as Aaron went to the top of the stairs and told Tony and Pam "good night." Aaron left as Todd came to see Pam and ask if he could help Tony or Tony's girl before he left too. There really was nothing more that could be done at the moment, but if either thought of something Tony would call him. Todd then said that he was going on an errand for Amelia before heading back to Tony's house; she needed something called a neti pot.

Once again Todd looked at his friend and asked what was going on. Tony said, "They've been abjured." Todd didn't have to ask who "they" were; he knew that Tony referred to his parents; though the revelation was startling nonetheless. "What? Why?" Was all Todd could get out. Tony sounded numb when he responded, "They're with the Dallas pack now."

Todd's mouth gaped. "No. No way. Frank and Marie would never, could never..." he shook his head as if to negate it, it couldn't be true. When Tony told Todd that he'd gotten the news from Aaron himself, Todd nearly collapsed where he was. Pam was agitated and wanted to move as she watched Tony and felt his inner turmoil. "Does Alcide know?"

"Yes. I don't know when he found out though."

"I'm so sorry brother." He gave his friend a hug. "You need anything, call me...If you'd like I'll come back after I know Amelia is settled and we'll toss a few beers back."

"Maybe tomorrow." He looked at Pam. "I need to be with Pam." _He needed her as much as she needed him._

Todd left, looking for all the world like someone close had just died. In a way, they had.

Pam demanded, "What was that all about?"

Tony looked at Pam, "a wolf's nightmare come true. I'd rather not discuss it right now."

Pam could sense his need to run, hunt, and become his animal. "I'd go for a run with you if I could."

As Tony looked at her, he noticed that she hadn't even twitched a muscle since Eric left. He found this curious, she might still be feeling like shit, but she was better now than she was when she first came in. When she gave him her questioning look, he told her that he thought it odd that she hadn't moved even a finger.

She rolled her eyes. "Eric commanded me to stay still for the rest of tonight and not move tomorrow until he came to release me... I can move my head and work the vocal chords in my throat, but I am forbidden from moving anything else... I suppose it's a good thing though." She glared at her lover. "I don't like being left in the dark. Whatever is going on is upsetting you, and I don't like that. If I could move, I would find a way of getting you to tell me what is going on and I'd find a remedy."

"There is no remedy Pam," His voice full of melancholy.

Alcide came into the safe room. "There's little less than two hours before dawn." He looked at Tony. "Why don't you go for a run? I'll stay here and watch after your girl." The words were a request, but the tone was a command. Tony nodded his head and went upstairs.

Before opening the back door, he heard Pam ask Alcide what was going on. Alcide told her, "The Herveaux's betrayed us. They have been abjured by the pack they had been living with. Now, they must be abjured by their home pack as well." Pam didn't understand how or why they could be abjured by two packs. Alcide told her, "their treachery not only goes against the Texan pack and the Shreveport pack, it goes against all of our kind." By now, Tony was outside the house but still close enough to hear. She still didn't understand. Alcide said in explanation, "they run with the Dallas pack now." _She wasn't going to know why that was significant._

Tony ran at his fastest speed. He ran to nowhere in particular. He howled and howled again. His howling and baying were the only sounds in the area. All other animals knew when to hide. He ran some more and howled again and again, releasing the pain inside. Some howls came back, the visiting wolves near Bon Temps had heard his cries and they sent their own out in support. _He was grieving the loss of his parents. For all intents and purposes they were dead._ The Were returned to the Herveaux House when he heard the call from his pack master. Dawn was approaching.

The pack master held the door for Tony as he walked in, having assumed his human form. Alcide spoke, "shower and I'll talk. There's not much time before dawn."

Alcide stood in the doorway as Tony showered. "When I found out what Frank and Marie had done, I was duty bound to report it. Aaron took swift action in severing ties with them. I'd have done it already, but you deserved to know about it before we abjured them. This proof came out today as we were dealing with this goddamn vampire mess... Tomorrow, our pack will be informed as well. We can wait until dark, if you'd like your woman to accompany you."

Tony called out, "No. She needs time to heal." _It would be nice to have her with him, but not if she was still weak._

"As for today, I was thinking that you could stay in the room with your girl. Evidently she may need to feed during daylight. I'll come for you every few hours in case you need more blood, a bathroom, food, etcetera.."

Tony got out and toweled off. "I'll need to get Gordy."

"I can make sure to let you out in time to go get him yourself, or if you'd prefer we can have Betty-Ann escort him home as normal. He'd stay with Amelia until you got home. Amelia is fine with that by the way, I did ask first. As we have a pack meeting in the afternoon, I'd suggest going home to get Gordy after the meeting... even then, you might want to talk to Amelia about that." He smiled. Something was up, but the pack master wasn't about to give it all away.

Tony put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt. "Alright. I spend the day with Pam, go out in the afternoon for the meeting, then go home to see my son and Amelia. Got it. Do you think I'll be back to Bon Temps before dark?"

"I think so. I don't know all that you'll want to do in your home before heading back here, but the situation with your parents is pretty straight forward. The meeting won't last long." Alcide put a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "We'll get through this." Then, he gave his cousin a consolatory hug.

Tony went back into the safe room. Another bed had been added. Alcide said, "Her bed is small and I didn't think you'd want to be on the floor all day." Tony thanked his pack master for being so kind. Alcide had put some electronic devices, books and magazines in a corner of the room and a large electronic hurricane lamp was turned on. It was very bright for being so small. Alcide left the room and closed the door to set the seal.

He looked at Pam, "blood?"

"Please."

Tony opened the cooler and took out a package of blood and rubbed it between his hands. Pam laughed. "There is a portable hot plate somewhere near you. Alcide said you just needed to put bag in the hot water." Tony turned about and saw the mini hot-plate. It ran off of a battery and didn't get too hot, but it was better than nothing. When the bag was at least warm as opposed to cold, Tony poked a hole in it and inserted a straw. He brought it to Pam, putting the straw to her lips.

Before sucking down the bag of blood, Pam asked "Can you tell me what is going on with your parents? Why is this Dallas pack such a big deal?"

He was still for a moment, silently encouraging her to drink as he thought over his response. "Yes. It is a big deal because it is their death warrant. If I or any Were ever see them, they are to be killed on sight."


	25. Confusion

(25)

Pam was nearly finished with her bag of blood. She looked like death was pulling on her. _But of course, dawn was just minutes away._ Tony said, "Dawn is coming. You need to rest."

"I won't rest until you tell me why joining that Texas pack is such a big deal." She was weak, but she meant business. Tony was skeptical, and his face showed as much. "We feel a pull to sleep during the day, but we don't have to."

"It takes you a lot of strength to move during the day, it will only weaken you further." He was resolute.

"I'll die as soon as you tell me the significance of the Texas pack." She wasn't budging. _What the hell? He didn't have time for this shit. She needed to die to heal during the day._

"If you leave me no other option, I will call Eric." _Damn if he wanted to call Eric to get him to command her to take care of herself, but what else could he do?_

"Your cell won't work in here. The walls are too thick." He checked his cell, which indicated "out of service area." _Fuck._

"Fine. I'll tell you about the pack, but then you will die and ask any questions when you rise for the night. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Tony explained that the Dallas pack was not a Were pack. They were werewolves, but not of the same variety as his or Aaron's. No one knew for certain, but it was believed that the Dallas pack of werewolves were created via a curse passed through bitten humans; much like what is portrayed in popular culture. The Dallas werewolves were not truly two-natured and it was not there mission to protect life; it was their compulsion to devour it. Dallas werewolves craved fresh meat, preferably human like a newborn vampire craved blood. Weres quietly protected the human population from the unseen dangers; around these parts that was mostly vampires. If they came across a werewolf not of their kind, a cursed one, it was law to kill such a werewolf on sight. That a true two-natured, born Were would ever run with a cursed werewolf was beyond imagining. What it was about the Pennsylvania pack that drew his parents in, he would never understand.

"Pennsylvania?" She looked at him sideways.

"We had an agreement. Questions later." He watched her as she turned her head so that it was in a straight line with her body. As she closed her eyes, he said, "Dallas, Pennsylvania. Not Dallas, Texas."

She died and Tony went to the other bed to sleep. It had been a long day followed by a long night. He was beat.

Sometime later he woke up, "Pam?"

"Yes."

"Do you need blood?"

"Yes please."

"How long have you been awake?" He jumped up to get blood from the cooler. It took a few minutes to warm it with the lousy electronic device. While it heated, Tony looked at the time. Only three hours had passed.

"Not sure."

When as warm as possible, he brought her the blood. She drank it and then died again.

Tony put the emptied bag into a receptacle and heard the door unseal as Alcide poked his head in. "Need anything?" _If he'd opened just a few minutes earlier, he could have heated the blood to nice temperature._ Tony said that he was fine, and was about to go back to sleep. He did just that after Alcide reset the seal.

The Were opened his eyes and looked at the time, nearly four hours had passed. He looked at his girl, she was still dead but she was looking much better now than when she first came into the room.

Alcide unsealed the door again and asked Tony to come out. "We need to speak about Madden."

"The bastard is dead. Killed him myself. You were there." _What about the fucker?_

"You remember Jamie and Terrence?" They were the trackers that Aaron had called up to sniff Madden's flaking corpse.

"Of course. They were at the kill too." Tony straightened his back. _Something was coming._

"And they agreed with us, and your vampire" at this Alcide was surprised. "That he didn't smell normal for a vampire."

"We sent trackers out to follow his scent to see what would come of it." Alcide shifted his stance. "When we really took it in, the area around Sookie's home... there were three separate trails." _False trails perhaps. Madden would have gone in one direction and the doubled back. _ "His scent was found in a crypt in the cemetery near the Stackhouse estate. Evidence suggests that he spent day there yesterday, though we know that he was with us in Bossier."

"Who went over the evidence?" _Maybe the person came to the wrong conclusion._

"Jamie initially. He then called Aaron. Aaron came to the same conclusion and called me. There is no doubt." Alcide said the words, but even he couldn't believe it.

"The other trails?" Tony asked hoping that some light would be shed on the subject.

"One led back to the room in Bossier as it should. The other led to a heavily guarded area... His scent was... fresh." Tony looked at his pack master. _What did he mean, "fresh?" _Alcide continued, "If we didn't know any better, we'd say that he was inside the building at this very moment."

"That can't be. Ya'll were there. I killed that son of a bitch."

Terrence is outside. I want you to go with him and tell me what you think.

"Yes pack master. I will leave as soon as Pam is finished with her blood." Pam hadn't said anything, but he _knew_ that she was lucid.

He took a bottle of blood from the refrigerator and heated to ninety-eight point six degrees, just she liked. Before taking it down to her, he took out a sharp kitchen knife and cut himself. He squeezed the blood out directing it to mix with the blood in her bag. He stopped when his body had healed itself.

Tony came up to Pam with the bag of blood and put it to her lips. She drank and stared at him, silently telling him that she knew that he'd put some of himself in there. As she finished, she noticed a streak of blood on his arm from when he had bled himself. She eyed it and he put it up to her mouth for her to lick clean. She smiled, said "thank you" and died again. _It would probably be dark before she woke again._

He walked back out and sealed the door. After taking care of his own personal needs, he joined Terrence. Darrell was there too.

The three Weres got into Tony's truck and headed off to a ritzy area. The homes in this area were enormous by local standards as well as some celebrity standards. Most of the home was surrounded by lots of wilderness and a very long, extensive network of fencing.

They stopped in front of one such estate that had surveillance cameras. It also had guards. They couldn't be seen from this position but a Were could smell them and hear their movements. There were a couple of demons on the property and... Tony's eyes bulged. _Werewolve's. Not Weres. Tony had had enough with the goddamn fucking bastards and now they had the audacity to come here?! _He sniffed some more. A scent he recognized all too well. He followed his nose until he was right in the path of the scent. _Madden. A fresh scent coming from his stench. _There was no doubt that Madden was inside the compound. _What the hell? How did a terminally dead dude go from definitely dead to... undead?_ Tony nodded his head to the others, it was Madden alright. Darrell took a good sniff and the three silently departed.

On their way back into Bon Temps to the Herveaux House, the three spoke in circles; how could Madden be inside? Madden was torn apart last night, Alcide, Aaron and all of Aaron's pack were witness to it. How could he have been in two day places at the same time? What were they going to do now? What of the cursed werewolves inside? Why were they working with Madden? How could Madden be inside?

Back at the construction house, Tony agreed with the others that somehow Madden was indeed inside that compound.

Alcide announced that the meeting would be in half an hour and since the compound was not far from Bon Temps, the pack would meet in back of the construction house; in the woods between Herveaux House and Sookie's place.

Tony checked on Pam before heading into the woods. She was still dead. A few hours remained before dusk; he hoped that he'd be back before she woke needing more blood. He walked out of the room and sealed it shut.

This pack meeting included Aaron and his pack. Although not unheard of, it was uncommon. Alcide got right to the point. "Our Friend is still in danger." He looked around at the Weres. "Despite what went down last night, Madden still lives." The silence was charged with shock. "We do not know how it is possible, only that it is. Aaron has some of his men in Sookie's woods right now, in case of another day time attack." Alcide looked at his pack master friend and continued. "Madden has fifteen cursed werewolves surrounding his compound."

Aaron added, "we will take them out. A few more of our brethren will be joining us so that we can ensure no one slips by. For those of you that think of them as weak, remember that they are not turned. Once these cursed beings turn, there is nothing they won't kill. We will outnumber them greatly when we attack. Failure is not an option. As for the vampire, if it is possible; keep him alive for the Northman to do as he sees fit. Japers, follow me."

Aaron walked off and all the Weres from Jasper, Texas followed their leader away from Alcide's pack. Alcide addressed the group again. "Many of you know well the Herveaux's." Pointing to Tony, "You know Tony, his son Gordon and of course Marie and Francis." He pressed his lips together. "Marie and Frank have lost their way and are now dead to our kind. We are about to abjure them." The surrounding Weres were confused and shifted their stance. _Those two? What the hell could they have done to be abjured?_ "Marie and Frank are running with the Dallas pack." There were gasps, tears and faces in shock. Alcide waited a few minutes for the group to recover and then lead the group through the abjure ceremony."

When done, his pack members offered condolences and then headed off to their position for attack against Madden and his damned wolves. Todd gave his friend a hug and then let him know that Gordy was back home; he and Amelia were having a grand time together.

After the rest of the pack left, Alcide told Tony that he'd be one of five Weres surrounding Sookie's house while the rest attacked the compound.

Tony turned to go to Sookie's and stopped abruptly, prompting Alcide to ask what was up. Tony responded, "Sookie's house is safer than most, but we did have her in a safe room yesterday. Madden still wants her and obviously hasn't gotten her yet..."

Alcide frowned. "I see your point. But, there is not enough time to get her back to the Shreveport safe house."

"I was thinking that she ought to hole up with Pam."

Alcide raised his brows, "Pam is a vampire that is healing. Putting Sookie in there would be too dangerous."

Tony looked right at his pack master, "Pam will not hurt her. Sookie is Eric's bonded... There are also more bags of blood for Pam should she be thirsty." If she did have a raging bloodlust, she wouldn't be able to carry it through as Eric had commanded her to remain still. _Not that Tony would say that out loud where other Supes might hear it._

"You really believe that she'd be safer locked inside that room with an injured vampire than she is at home?" Alcide's tone indicated that he was entertaining the idea.

"Yes." Tony responded with conviction.

"Very well." Alcide thought for a moment. "Go to Sookie; tell her about the situation with Madden. Tell her about the safe room and that Pam is inside, she no doubt heard what happened to the th... your girlfriend." _Alcide almost called his girl a "thing!" Ugh. He caught himself, he didn't say it. _The pack master finished with, "Let Sookie decide for herself. Do it fast as I'll call you ten minutes after you leave here. We will not attack until we can be certain she is safe."

"Understood."

Alcide took a deep breath. "One more thing... If she agrees with you and goes into the safe room, carry her there. Do not let her scent touch anything along the way. Northman won't like it but he'll understand."

Tony nodded his head and left for Sookie's place.

Sookie was supposed to work tonight and only had a few minutes left before she had to get going. Then she looked hard at Tony. She peeked outside and sensed the presence of more Weres. She turned back to Tony, "I'm guessing you all don't think I oughta work tonight."

Her Were visitor quickly launched into the explanation. They all thought that Madden was killed, but somehow he was holed up in a compound no too far outside of Bon Temps. His day guards were nasty creatures, but there was no need to get into too much detail right now; she just needed to know that hunting humans was something of a spectator sport for them. He mentioned that the closes safe room that they had access to was in the Herveaux House. Sookie's house was safe but not safe room safe. It was up to her where she would be when the next take down happened, but Alcide would call any minute now to hear her decision.

Before answering, he looked at Sookie. She was less than thrilled when she answered, "safe room." Tony answered the call and Alcide simply asked, "spells alone? Or room with spells?" Tony answered, "Room." To which Alcide replied, "Time is running." The connection broke off.

Tony asked Sookie if she still had one of the charmed bags to put around her neck, to help mask her scent. She did. Sookie got it and quickly put it on. Tony then explained to her that while no one could smell her in her present location, anyone could smell where she had been. To prevent a scent trail to the house, he'd carry her there.

They walked to her door and he picked her up before they went out. He put her over his shoulder. "You could have at least warned me." She protested. "Couldn't you at least wait until we were outside?"

"No. This way, your scent remains inside." He walked out with her over his shoulder and closed the door behind him, using Sookie's key to set the deadbolt.

As they walked toward the woods, a group of three Weres came near. One walked in front of them. The other two walked behind them and off to the left and right sides. They hit the treeline and Sookie said, with uncertainty, "Tony?"

"It's okay Sookie. They're with us. You could tell they weren't Shreveport Weres?" He was impressed.

"Yeah. I mean, I couldn't tell who they were though. Obviously."

"They're friends from Texas. They came so that we could resolve a mutual problem."

"Oh. You're parents live in Texas, right? Are they members of this pack?" All went silent. Tony's breathing hitched. _His parents were dead. Worse, they were traitors; and as good as dead._

Sookie soon realized _or heard_ that something was wrong. She said, "Well I hope you all are able to enjoy Louisiana and aren't here only because of work."

They neared the home, Sookie started to move to get down. Tony said that she'd come down once inside the safe room. She let out a sigh of frustration. Then he told her, "When this is over, I'll introduce you if you'd like.

"I'd like that." Then she whispered in Tony's ear, "preferably with clothes on." He chuckled and so did his wolf friends. They had heard her clearly.

Before going into the safe room, Tony took some blood out of the refrigerator.

He went to the door, pressed the code into the keypad and unsealed the door. As soon as he was inside, he put Sookie on her feet. Sookie watched as he looked over Pam. Tony turned on the bright hurricane light and looked up the stairs before closing the door, but not sealing it. _He wanted to make sure no one heard what he told Sookie._ "Only Alcide, Eric and I have the code to open this room. Pam is not allowed to move, she hasn't even moved her pinky since Eric left; he commanded her not to move until her saw her tonight and gave her the okay. No one else knows she is so restricted. Not even Alcide. She will need to feed when she wakes..." he showed Sookie the cooler of blood, the mini hotplate, the container of straws and when he was finished talking of Pam's care he pointed out a few other items in the room.

After sealing Sookie inside, Tony came up to find that the Weres had scattered. They were in the woods, appearing to hunt.

His phone rang. The caller ID said "Merlotte's." Sam was likely calling to find out if Tony had seen Sookie as she hadn't come into work and hadn't had the time to call Sam to tell him she wouldn't be in. Knowing that he was the only one inside the house and that the closest supes were the visiting Weres, talking to Sam on his end wasn't a big risk. But he couldn't know who was near Sam, so instead of answering and telling Sam that he couldn't say anything, he simply ignored the call.

Ten minutes later, the visiting wolves became agitated. Someone was approaching. Tony looked out and gave them the "ok." Sam Merlotte pulled into the driveway and got out saying, "I'm looking for Sookie. She's supposed to work tonight. I know she's not late by much, but it's not like her to be late or to blow off her job... She is something of a magnet for trouble though..." by now Sam was in front of Tony, he had taken in a breath and Smelled Sookie. "You know where she is."

There were wards up around the house, so it would be safer to speak inside. Tony indicated for Sam to follow and the two men entered the building. "Downstairs."

"This have anything to do with yesterday?" His eyes were intent.

"She told you about that?" _Her bonded might not like her sharing with other men._

"I'm her friend. Yeah, she told me. From what she said though, we thought it was over."

"So did we." He looked at Sam. "She's probably rambling on about how she should have called you, but we didn't give her much time. Once we knew what was going on, we got her to a safe place."

Sam sniffed and looked around, "Downstairs?" He clearly was not able to smell her. He looked at Tony, "I want to see her. I need to know that Sookie is okay."

"Settle down. She's fine, but you'll not see her until the situation is resolved or her bonded comes."

Sam began looking around the home, sniffing the area. He wasn't picking up her scent. He found the basement door and walked down the stairs to the door at the bottom. He took a long sniff; his nose flared and his eyes widened. "She's in there with a vampire. What the hell is going on? Get her out of there."

_That shifter had one hell of a nose. _In a resolute tone Tony said, "she will come out when it is safe."

"When it is safe? When it is fucking safe!" Sam was incredulous. "She's locked in there with a vampire! Are you insane? You've got to let her out." He thought for a moment, "Eric will kill you for putting her in danger."

Tony chuckled to himself. _Sam must not remember the scent of Eric's child._ "She is in no danger with that vampire."

Sam was frustrated beyond belief. "If anything happens to her, I'll be coming for you. I don't care if I have to take on the whole fucking pack."

Tony stood at his full height and stared him down. "I don't believe that I have ever heard of a friend of the pack threatening a pack member. I'd recommend against you doing it again. You know that Sookie is a friend of the pack as well; nothing will happen to her." He looked at Sam. _The poor guy was infatuated with her. She'd be better off with the shifter, of course. But she was with the vampire. _"You may stay if you like so long as you behave yourself... Get to be a pain in my ass and Friend or no, I'll send your ass packing. Understood?"

"Yeah." Sam replied.

A short time later, Tony's cell rang. It was Alcide calling. Tony flipped open the phone and said, "Sam Merlotte is here watching over things with us." He needed to make sure that the pack master knew who was in the area before he spoke. Tony didn't know how much Alcide wanted Sam to know, so it was best to err on the side of caution.

Alcide spoke, "don't open up until Eric comes and we can apprise him of the situation. The werewolves were dispatched in minutes, but we can't get to Madden. He's in an underground bunker. We're not sure if he has outside communication or not. We just know where he is and that we can't get to 'em." The connection ended.

Sam had heard the brief conversation. "You guys just killed your own?"

"No Sam. They were cursed werewolves, not true two-natured beings like us. Their only similarity to us Weres is the shape they took when the curse was active." Tony didn't say too much more about the werewolves. Sam was very interested as this was something that was new to him; that there were different types of werewolves and not just different packs. But Sam didn't ask too many questions, he sensed that something was off and he didn't want to push it.

Shortly after dark, Eric strode into the house. Sam's jaw dropped as he saw the vampire enter without an express invitation. The Herveaux House wasn't being used as an office open to the public yet, and Northman walked in as easily as if it were.

Eric took in Sam's gaping jaw and Tony's sullen expression. "How are my women?"

Tony told him that Sookie as fine, no one had come for her. When Eric eyed him, Tony knew that he smelled Sookie's scent on Tony. The Were guard explained that he carried Sookie so as to not leave a scent trail for enemy trackers.

Pam was looking much better. She woke a couple of times, but slept for a longer period of time after each feeding. He showed Sookie the blood, the heating device and straws in case Pam woke while she was inside. Pam was awake now.

Eric and Sam looked at Tony. Eric asked, "How do you know that Pam is awake?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders, "No idea. I just do." He got and headed for the refrigerator. "She'll like to have some hot blood. That battery operated thing doesn't do so well." Eric smirked as Tony put the blood in the microwave to heat. Sam looked like he was in an episode of the Twilight zone. Eric's smile broadened when he saw Sam's expression.

Eric addressed Tony. "Do not let them out of the safe room until I come back. I need to check out this compound that Alcide has told me about. He claims that Madden is inside, but he couldn't be because you tore him to pieces last night."

"Yeah. I don't get it either, but it's him. I could smell him. Madden is in there." No matter how many times he said it, he couldn't believe it.

"Having witnessed his death, I doubt that it is him. But I will need to check it out for myself." He turned to head back out, "I'll be back shortly." Eric paused for a moment. "If I should be detained for some reason, Pam will see to Sookie." _Was he just saying that Pam would take care of his bonded in case of his final death? Tony wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he sure as hell wasn't going to tell Sookie._

Eric left and Tony took the hot bag of blood out of the microwave. "Stay up here," he said to Sam. He went down the basement stairs and unsealed the door.

Tears were streaming down Sookie's face. Tony had no doubt that Pam had told her about his parents. He brought the straw to Pam's lips and she drank. She looked whole again. When she finished, he asked her how she was. She answered that she was mostly healed. Baring any problems tonight, she'd get a normal days sleep come dawn and wake up whole tomorrow evening.

"Sookie what's wrong?" Sam peered in the doorway.

"I told you to stay up stairs."

"Can't you see that she's crying?" He exclaimed. With a gentler tone he asked Sookie, "What happened?"

Sookie responded, "It's not me Sam. I'm fine." She got up, walked to Tony and gave him a great big hug telling him, "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you Sookie... Your... Eric is going to check on some things but doesn't want either of you ladies out just yet, so I can't keep the door open much longer. Anything else you need?"

Sookie said "no."

Pam said, "Food. For you. You're hungry. Have you not eaten today?" _Had he? It was near dinnertime now and he hadn't thought of what to eat. He didn't have lunch. Did he eat breakfast? He couldn't remember. "_Tony?" She called him back to his senses. "Why are you so hungry?"

"I didn't eat lunch today." _And no breakfast either._

"Then get your ass upstairs and eat something." She said in a commanding tone.

"It is not wise to cross my child." Eric said as he came to stand behind Sam in the doorway. "Move." He said to Sam. Same moved so that Eric could come inside.

He went to Sookie and asked her what caused her such pain. Sookie said that she'd like to share with him, but it wasn't her story to share.

Tony said, "It's not like it's a secret. It is what it is."

Silence filled the room. Eric waited for a response. Pam broke the silence. "Tony's parents were abjured." Sam and Eric both were shocked by this. "They joined a sort of rebel pack that delights in killing humans; the same kind of pack that was guarding Madden I believe." Tony nodded his head. It was the same type of pack.

"It is difficult to lose someone you are fond of, particularly if it is through an act of betrayal." Eric said.

Sookie flailed her arms as she reprimanded him, "Eric!"

Sookie did not think that Eric's response was appropriate, but kept her other comments to herself. _Wonder how Eric would handle that reprimand if it were in public? It was probably best not to think on it._

Sam offered his condolences. He knew that being abjured was a major deal.

Eric informed them all that he wanted Sookie to stay here until the situation at the compound was settled. If Sookie would prefer, she could go back to the safe room that she'd shared with Amelia or use Compton's. It was evident that Eric really would prefer that she not choose Compton's safe room. Sookie figured that one safe room was as good as any; at least she was close to home.

Eric then turned to Pam. She was permitted to move, but restricted to the inside of the house until she rose the next night. He didn't want his child back out in the world until she was fully healed.

As soon as she could, Pam got up and set her eyes on Tony. "I thought I told you to get your ass upstairs and eat something."

He smiled and then he kissed her. "Yes ma'am." He turned to Sookie, "You hungry?"

"I'm fine." She said.

Eric narrowed his eyes at her. "Lying does not become you, Lover."

Sam offered to get some food and bring it back, but Tony said that he could cook. Tony headed up the stairs as Sookie told Eric, "I don't want to be an imposition."

Eric's tone was harsh in response, "you will eat when needed. Imposition or not. Am I clear?"

Sookie chuckled to herself and was silent a moment before saying, "Yes, Eric. You are clear."

The Herveaux House refrigerator had many drinks and only a few snack foods. The house hadn't had overnight occupants in days and the day crew preferred to eat at a dinner or fast food joint.

Sam snuck a peek in the refrigerator and said, "My offer still stands. I can place an order from here, and I'll go get it. None of your Were friend's would need to leave the area and no strange delivery men would be coming by that might recognize Sookie."

"The shifter has a good plan." Eric said. He had closed the windows and curtains before drawing Sookie up.

Sam asked Tony if he had internet access, maybe they could look at some menus on-line. Eric nudged Sookie. Same noticed. "Something on your mind?"

"I sort of have a craving for something that I haven't had in a while..." she fidgeted a bit.

"Sookie, if there is a place that has food you love I won't be offended that it's not Merlotte's." He smiled at her. "No one loves the food that they see day in and day out. So what's your pleasure." He leaned against a doorway, waiting for her response.

"The crawfish special." Eric cut in. "She is very fond of that dish."

"Merlotte's crawfish special?" Sookie nodded. "Huh. I knew you'd tried it once, didn't think you liked it though."

"Are you kidding me? Sam, that is the best crawfish I have ever had." Sam smiled, but reigned it in when he looked at the blond dead man over her. "It's just that there's not enough time to eat a dish like that when you're on break and it's so popular that there's none left at the end of the night."

"Okay then, one crawfish special from Merlotte's. Tony?" Tony thought that he'd try the special too. Sam offered to bring more for the Weres around the house, Tony said that he thought they'd appreciate that.

Sam placed the order and headed out as soon as he hung up.

"Back to business," Eric said. "I don't know how, but Madden is still among the walking. He is in an underground bunker. We're looking for entryways. If there is no success tomorrow, I'll have my day man Bobby look up the blueprints and see if we can get some headway there. For the moment, it is a matter of waiting. Madden can't have an endless supply of blood inside. He'll have to come out eventually. When he does..." He looked at Tony, "I will kill him so that he stays dead."

That sounded like a challenge to Tony, he stood up. Eric did too with his fangs coming out. Tony exclaimed, "You were there! Pam too! You saw me tear him apart. His body flake away before our eyes."

Sookie put an arm around Eric and called to him with a soothing voice. "Not now. Not here Eric. I know you're angry but it's not Tony you're angry at. You're angry that we can't explain all this shit right now. That's not his fault... Please don't make this worse."

Pam put an arm around Tony. "We know you killed him. We were there. We saw it, we smelled it. There is not question that you killed him last night. The question is _How in the hell did he come back?_ Eric let you kill Madden for me, now it will be for Eric to do. Maybe Madden will stay dead. They say _three times a charm._"

The two women de-escalated the situation and the men sat down again.

The group began talking of safety precautions to use until the situation was over and the discussion went all through the dinner that Sam had brought back with him. Some things, Tony would have to check on. For one, they were using the Herveaux House, not his own home. Another issue was that his son was back in Shreveport with his pregnant house-guest. _He'd figure it out._ _But she was due any day now. It wasn't right that he wasn't with her._

_ *********************************************  
_

Happy New Year!

Have you figured out the Madden conundrum? Though I haven't explained it yet, it will come. There are a couple of clues. I'm curious to know if anyone comes close. I'll tell you that witches have nothing to do with it, nor can Madden rise out of ash like a Phoenix.

FYI -I just put out the first installment of another story, Surprise! Tony isn't in it. Well, not yet anyway :) It is a Sookie POV fanfic.... Hope I do her justice.


	26. Scents

(26) Scents

The next morning Tony called his house in Shreveport. Amy answered. She and Gordy had just finished eating breakfast and he was helping her by clearing the table. Amy told Tony that she didn't see the Weres as much when she and Tray were dating; a Were was always around. Todd spent a lot of time with her and Gordy, so did Betty-Ann. Nearly half the pack comes by sometime during the day; half a dozen of them have offered to take her to her appointment tomorrow. They're being asses though... they keep restocking his refrigerator and not one person is taking her money. She's eating the food, and staying in Tony's house the least they could do is let her contribute.

Their conversation broke for a few minutes so that Tony could speak with his son before Betty-Ann came over. Gordon told his father that school was cool, way better than the last one. He made pictures for his daddy and Pam, they'd get their pictures when they came back home. When were they coming home?

Tony said that he should be home tomorrow afternoon.

Gordon cheered and told his daddy that he missed him and that Amelia missed him too, but he didn't need to come home today. Gordon could wait. He said "bye Daddy" as he passed the phone back to Amelia and left for school with Betty-Ann.

The two talked some more. When Tony said that there was a possibility that he'd be home that night for a bit, Amy said that it really wasn't necessary. Gordon was fine. Amy knew that Tony would want to be awake when Pam rose for the night. That alone would cut into the hours he would spend here and he needed to be back in Bon Temps for his early morning guard duty. He should just wait until tomorrow afternoon like he said earlier. _Tony could do it if he really wanted to. Something was up though, and they didn't want him back home yet. Hmmm._

Tony noted the time, ended the conversation with Amy and then went to the basement door. He put in the password and opened the door. Sookie was still asleep. Pam was dead and looking better than yesterday.

He padded back upstairs to search the kitchen. He opened one cabinet. _The cabinets didn't have much food in them. Nothing suitable for breakfast_. Tony opens the refrigerator thinking that there's no way that he could create a breakfast with the junk inside. But most of the junk is gone. The fridge has sausages, eggs, juice, milk, fruit, bread... it is loaded to the brim. There is a note on the coffee creamer.

_Tony, _

_It was evident that more food would be needed. I took the liberty of filling the refrigerator and the cabinet with the long door. Not knowing what humans prefer these days, I filled them with items that Sookie has kept in her kitchen as well as a few things that Pam suggested. _

_Sheriff Eric Northman_

Tony goes to the pantry figuring that it must be Eric's "cabinet with the long door." Bingo. The pantry is stuffed. _Talk about overkill. _

He sorted through the items to see what was available and started to cook breakfast once the coffee maker was working. Tony had left the safe room door closed but unsealed so that Sookie could let herself out.

Sookie started to move minutes after the coffee started to brew and the food to cook. She quickly dressed and headed upstairs to ask Tony if she could assist. Sookie took out plates and silverware, and then took out two mugs and two glasses. When she saw the contents of the refrigerator, she whistled. Tony said to her, "pantry too." They both smiled, vampires did everything to excess.

After eating, Sookie found the books that Eric had dropped off for her and she sat for a while to read. While she did that Tony went into the bedroom that served as an office and fired up the computer.

Tony spent a good amount of time working on the computer. He went through the company email and earmarked a few requests. He typed a reply to a Realtor and another email came through as he hit "send." The email was from Alcide. It was a forward from Eric's daytime guy Bobby. Alcide wanted Tony to look at it too. The email message was short, "Master, Here are the blueprints you requested. Your servant, Robert" Tony opened one of the attachments. He started to look over the blueprints to the compound.

The Herveaux House phone rang. Tony picked it up, "I just got the email." Right then he heard the sliding door move. Tony dropped the phone and ran to the door. He put an arm around Sookie and pulled her back before she stepped out.

He explained to her, "Your scent outside is faint right now. If you go out there any supe will know that you're inside. Until we get a handle on this situation you need to stay in."

Tony turned his head, someone was approaching. He sniffed the air, it Darrell. Darrell came in like he was expecting trouble. He stopped when he saw Sookie and Tony standing in the kitchen. He asked, "Everything alright?" Tony nodded his head. Darrell took out his push-to-talk cell phone and said, "Things are fine here Alcide." Alcide told Darrell to hand his phone to Tony and then demanded that Tony tell him what had just happened. Sookie was red with embarrassment when he hung up. Darrell gave her an odd look but said nothing before he left.

Her guard went back to the office to turn off the computer. Sookie grabbed her book and sat herself in a chair in the office. _She didn't have to sit with him in the office. Maybe she felt that he would be more comfortable if she was in front of him. She would be right._ Tony decided that he'd look at the blueprints after all; as long she was right in front of him.

The bunker was well fortified. It appeared to have only two access points; both impenetrable. No sewer, air, electric or water lines came into the bunker. _Unless he had some work done that was not on this blueprint. Not likely... Weres have a keen sense of smell, they'd have smelt one of those lines; each left a scent of its own, some more pleasant than others._

Darrell came by around lunch time. Sookie insisted on cooking, saying that she wanted to have something to do. She made way more than necessary even if there were two hungry Weres at the table. She responded that she made a lot so that some could go to the guards that were roaming the woods outside.

After lunch, Tony went on some errands. He started with the compound. The compound was surrounded by Weres, a couple of shifters including Sam and a few demons; they were going to make sure that Madden didn't have an extraction team to come rescue him. If Madden were to be extracted, it wouldn't be anyone of his choosing doing the extraction.

All agreed that Madden was still inside, but he must have had an exit strategy. It was still uncertain if he had communication with the outside world; said communication could be part of the strategy. Given the size of the bunker, it was also possible that Madden had soldiers inside with him so that they could fight his way out. They sniffed around the bunker and scratched the soldier idea off of the list. There weren't any other beings inside with him. _That was a long shot anyway._

Sam and the other shifter were not in sight, but their scent was present. Tony walked around until he found a molehill. Aaron told him that the shifters were digging around for information. After talking at length about the reinforced steel doors and how they're set, Sam appeared. He looked like he'd been rolling around in dirt like he had.

"As far as I can tell, it's one solid slab on the bottom. Moles don't see jack so I'll go in as something else tomorrow and have a look around the tunnels we made today." He was exhausted.

Tony spent the next two hours in and out of stores. Amelia would need a car seat for the baby, and he was going to get one while he was thinking about it. He'd researched consumer reports and knew what car seat he wanted to get. So far, he wasn't finding it. Walmart didn't carry it at all, one store had it but someone had opened the box taken some pieces, the last store he checked was out of stock.

He was sorely tempted to go home to see his son and find out what was up. Before leaving the last store, Tony called his home and there was no answer. School was over so Gordy should be home. Amelia is on bed rest so she too should be there.

As he walked to his car he called Alcide to tell him that there was no answer at this house. Had he heard anything? Alcide told him that Todd had taken them to see a movie. _Bullshit._ Betty-Ann alone would have his head on a platter if he made Amy move about for more than her half an hour time allowance. Alcide was in on whatever the hell was going on. "What's going on?" He asked his cousin. "I'll see you tomorrow," Was his response. _Grr._

When Tony arrived back at the Herveaux House, Darrell and Sookie greeted him. Sookie told Tony, "Amelia called. Dr. Herbert says it would be good for me to be there so that he can tell me what to expect too and tell me what I can do to help when the time comes." She took a deep breath. "I told her that I'm on lock-down again and she said that she'd heard. Joey too; he said that that's why he'd moved the appointment to later. I'll have to talk to Eric about it... the appointment is at eight."

"Alright." He turned to Darrell.

Darrell asked, "You want to meet at Joey's office or at your place?"

"I'll leave that up to Sookie." Tony replied.

Sookie looked like she wanted to say something other than what came out her mouth. "I suppose I should talk to Amelia and find out what she's up for." Darrell text messaged someone while Sookie spoke.

Tony watched to see if Sookie took out her cell phone. She did, but she didn't call. She sent a text message. _Interesting._

Nighttime finally came. Tony heated some blood for Pam, she'd wake soon. The house phone rang, it was Northman calling. Tony picked up the phone and handed it to Sookie. Sookie was not to go anywhere sans Pam and only if she followed the guidelines he'd given the ladies. He'd see her later.

Tony knew Pam to be awake and unsealed the door. He greeted her with blood and a kiss. She clearly wanted to do so much more than to drink a bag of blood and kiss his lips. She wanted to taste his skin, all of it. She declared to him, "You have no idea how much I want to wrap my lips around you..." Her hand was fondling him though his jeans. "Or just how much I want to feel your heat inside of me." She paused. "But I'm on duty until Eric gets here." _Killjoy. _With a sigh of resignation, Pam downed the bottle of blood and led the way upstairs.

"Pam!" Sookie shrieked. "You look so much better."

"Thank you, Sookie. If you don't mind I'm going to shower. While I do, think about where you want to go eat tonight." She smirked. "Unless you like staying in."

Sookie didn't eat out often; Most of those times she was on a date with a vampire or working for one. Now she was like a kid in a candy store. Should she say that wanted to go to the fish camp? Maybe that diner she went to once... There was the Barbecue Pit that had been around for ages, there was an Australian theme stake house not too far from Bon Temps... It was probably expensive though... Clarice had an Applebee's, Sookie had heard good things about it too...

Pam was out of the shower and dressed before Sookie had her decision made.

Darrell's guard duty was officially over. He bid all to have a good night and then turned to leave. His and Tony's cell phones went off. Both had a text message. Darrell read his as he continued out the door. Pam addressed Tony, "well?"

Tony told her, "Darrell has another assignment tomorrow. I'll be with Sookie all day."

She turned to Sookie. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

Sookie hadn't and rambles on about some of the dishes that she'd heard of and that she'd like to try, but couldn't decide which. "How about the pizzeria? I like Italian food." She finally said.

Pam narrowed her eyes at Sookie. "Sookie, my friend, tell me where it is that you really would like to eat."

Her pitch rose, "I like pizza."

Tony came next to Pam. "More than a thick, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth steak served with fluffy potatoes?" Pam watched Sookie as she reacted.

Without further delay, Pam said, "we're going to the steak house." She looked at Tony, "the more guards the merrier."

In a flash, Pam stood in front of Sookie. Tony said that he could carry her out to the car, but Pam informed him that Eric really didn't like smelling her scent on other males. As she said that, Pam hefted Sookie over a shoulder. Pam was much stronger than she looked.

Sookie protested, "Hey, what's with the over the shoulder bit lately?"

Tony opened the front door for Pam. Both Pam and Tony replied, "It's easier to move around." Then Tony gave Pam a chaste kiss before following them out the door.

Pam's car had been moved back to the house and was sitting in the driveway. Tony opened the door for her and Pam placed Sookie inside.

The restaurant was noisy. The music was loud and people had to speak with raised voices to compete with the piped music as well as the patrons nearby. Following a conversation with human ears would be difficult.

An olive skinned short young man with wavy dark brown hair named Tracey was their waiter for the evening. He detailed every special on the menu that night, recommended appetizers and some of the pricey drinks. Tracey was very polite and very determined to get them to order a lot of food. He became more polite and extremely nervous when Pam ordered her drink. When Tracey left the table to get their drinks, Sookie informed them that he had never met a vampire before. _Not that he knew of anyway_.

Over dinner, they couldn't help but think about Sookie's situation. Madden was still alive, kinda. Pam said that it was her fault that Madden was not taken out right away. Eric's Second was stunned to see him in Sookie's woods almost right after she arrived. Pam had thought that he was with the King's entourage. He was supposed to be according to what was planned. At first, she thought that the plan had changed. In those couple of seconds, his wolves came at her in human form with silver and bound her. She knew that there were wolves in the area; she figured that they were Shreveport wolves that she hadn't met. Pam knew that Madden couldn't be trusted... it was her fault. And now the fucker was hiding like a coward.

"So you saw him right after the sunset?" Tony asked.

"About fifteen minutes after." Pam responded.

"You were outside the whole time?"

"I didn't move much from where they first caught me to where you then saw me." Her tone was flat.

"I didn't see any silver on you."

"I know. He bled me before turning my ankle backward and popping out my knee. When he saw how quickly I healed, he bled me some more. It wasn't until sometime after breaking my left leg that the silver was taken off."

Sookie asked, "When did the wolves leave?" She glanced at Tony. "I had heard that Were's were there for the fight. No one mentioned wolves, cursed werewolves, or whatever it is that you call 'em."

Pam told them, "They left right after I was unbound." She looked pensive. "Curious though...." Tony and Sookie sat up. "Madden's suit was covered in my blood before the silver was taken off."

"There wasn't a drop of blood on him I we got there." Tony recollected. "Do you have any idea how long you were unbound before others got there."

"Not long. The wolves came and I thought they were the next shift. That was, until they started growling at him and he got nervous." She smiled.

"Aaron says that they weren't on the scene long before Alcide and I came." Tony lamented. "Two guards had been placed in the woods as decoys. Both were killed. One had started to howl for help and that was how the pack knew to go there. But they were too late."

Sookie had a hard time following the conversation over all of the noise, but she got a good bit. The telepath would have heard more if their minds were easier to read, or if they spoke louder.

Pam's cell rang. She answered it. "Master."

While she was on the phone, Tony's rang too.

Both conversations were short and both looked at Sookie as they hung up. Sookie wanted to know what was up.

Tony said, "We have just been informed that Madden has more of his followers looking for you."

Dripping sarcasm she responded, "Lovely. That's just friggin' lovely."

When Tracey asked about dessert, Sookie declined saying that she'd eaten plenty. Pam asked him about chocolate desserts; she ordered "Death by chocolate." Tony ordered a slice of pie a la mode.

Tracey placed the desserts on the table. The portions were huge. Sookie looked at Pam, "Pam, I am stuffed. I can't eat this. Plus, it's enough for an army."

Pam replied, "You will eat it. Chocolate makes you happy, you have said so yourself... I have standing orders from Eric and I will follow them."

Tony put his hand out between the women. "Pam, Sookie said that she is full. Maybe she can take the dessert back to the house and eat it later when she's not feeling stuffed."

Pam frowned a bit, "I suppose that will suffice." She pointed at Sookie, "but you will eat that chocolate."

Tony and Sookie both laughed. Pam was confused. Tony explained, "Parents are constantly telling children to eat their vegetables, and clean their plate...and no dessert until it's gone."

"Most kids would love to skip the healthy stuff and dive right into the dessert." Sookie added.

"This has to be the first time that someone was told to eat dessert." Tony finished.

Sookie asked for another doggie bag (Pam teased Tony about that) for her dessert and Pam asked for the bill. Tracey left the table and came back several minutes later with a container for Sookie to put her chocolate death inside. He then said that the bill was taken care of and that he hoped that they enjoyed their meal.

Sookie smiled, "Eric's here." Her smile broadened as he neared the table.

"I trust you ate well?" Eric asked. His eyes glanced over the table as though he was addressing all of them, but he was most interested in Sookie's response.

"That steak was so good Eric." She emphasized her statement as she licked her lips.

Pam mentioned the dessert.

Eric smirked, "Death by Chocolate? It better not live up to that name... but you will have some tonight, Lover." His eyes smoldered. "Chocolate does marvelous things for you."

Pam looked at Tony. He told her, "It's a female thing. Guys like chocolate too. But we don't get... we don't have quite the same reaction." Pam had a playful look in her eye. _She was going to test that theory, he just knew it. _

Eric held out his hand for Sookie and told her guards that they wouldn't be needed for the rest of the night. Sookie and Eric left the restaurant together. Pam and Tony weren't far behind.

Once in the parking lot Pam kissed Tony. The first kiss was chaste, then there was another and then another. Each had a bit more pressure and suggestiveness to it. She wanted to know what form of chocolate he liked; they'd get some on the way back to the house. Again, Tony said that chocolate didn't do that much for him.

Pam said that after she'd heard Sookie talk to Eric about chocolate, she looked it up. Chocolate actually affected a person's brain and made them feel better. Sure, women might notice the effects more than men but men could benefit too.

Tony said that while that may be true, there were other things far higher on the list than chocolate. Men were very visual. If they saw a naked woman dipped in chocolate, they'd get off on chocolate. Pam smiled wickedly as she continued down the road.

"What are you planning?" Tony teased.

"Sex. A lot of sex." She smirked.

"That's nothing new." He jeered.

"Want details?" She waged her brow.

"I told you we're visual creatures. You show us and that's all we need." He smirked right back.

She laughed. "Then I'll make sure that I'm naked as you watch me please you. And you are not going to touch me until I have had my way." In a tone of mock hurt she added, "You had two days of being able to touch me and that was a form of torture all its own, particularly with all of those kisses. It was all I could do to not grab you and to have you in all the ways that I wanted you to have me."

"So you're going to get revenge on me for taking care of you?" He was happily incredulous.

"Yes." She playfully snarled as the car pulled into the driveway.

They brought Sookie's doggie bags inside and put them in the refrigerator. Once the fridge door was close, Pam attacked him with a body warming kiss.

They kissed frantically. She ran her hands through his hair and down his back. They staggered into the hallway as he unbuttoned Pam's blouse and pulled it off. At the doorway to the master bedroom, she took his shirt off and opened his jeans. As she kissed his chest, he kissed the top of her head and unhooked her bra. His arms slid down and pushed her skirt until it fell around her ankles. They made their way to the bed. Pam pulled his jeans down and pushed him back onto the bed, saying; "You're now forbidden to leave this bed or touch me until I say so."

He wanted nothing more than to feel her skin under his hands, "Pam," his voice was getting rough, "no Pam."

"Yes, Tony." She took off his shoes and then pulled off the jeans that were gathered at his feet.

"No, Pam. We had a deal." She looked up at him. "You said you'd be naked, you've still got your panties on."

Pam smiled and with vampire speed the panties were gone. "Would you prefer me to lose the heels too?" He shook his head. "Didn't think so."

She came up and sat next to him. "No moving. Except for your neck and head." He nodded. She leaned over him and kissed his face all over. Tony had a great view of her breasts as they brushed against him, _I'll act like I have an itch. She'd let me move to scratch an itch, Right? _Tony barely moved his right arm when it was pinned down. Pam smiled, "bondage might be good for you."

"Pam, this is not fair." He complained. "I wasn't naked. And as much as I wanted to I didn't touch you sexually. I'm going to demand payback."

Pam stared down at him. "As Eric says, life isn't fair. Neither is death." She smiled. "Fair or not, I can see you're ready to play."

She bent down and gently kissed his shaft and then worked her way up his torso to kiss his mouth again. While her mouth was at his, she stroked him gently. Her mouth moved to his chest, giving each nipple loads of attention. Tony was breathing heavy and closed his eyes a couple of times to help contain himself. She worked his torso, massaging it with a hand and her mouth. Her attention went back to his penis, only this time she encased him in her mouth and her hand rubbed his sweet spot. Tony couldn't help himself, his hands were on her head. She stopped her ministrations and smiled wickedly, "you were warned. Stay here and do not move or the consequences will be worse."

Pam dashed out of the house naked. He heard her car trunk pop open and then close. His vampire returned carrying restraints. His eyes widened. _She kept those in her car._ _"_Vampires do not say things only for affect." She looked at him. "You've never been tied up before have you?" He responded, "No." Pam looked at him with affection, "I did say that I'd restrain you if you touched me and therefore I will. But if it'd make you more comfortable, I'll only use one restraint."

Now Tony looked at her with affection. "I trust you Pam."

Pam straddled his chest and put restraints on him. Her eyes positively glowed as she bade him to watch her as she licked and teased and then swallowed him. It was a long torturous night.

* * *

The next day Tony would swear that Pam's torture of him became even more sensuous and arousing as a result of seeing him in restraints. The restraints themselves held up real well, but the headboard had suffered some damage each time Tony came.

He woke with a smile on his face, which only slightly faltered when he saw the damaged headboard. He'd need to get it replaced as this building would soon be a model home. Appearances were everything.

Tony went to the safe room and unsealed the door. He was curious to know if Pam stayed the night in the safe room or high tailed it elsewhere. He didn't peek in though. He didn't want to give Sookie a scare.

He went to the computer to look up furniture stores. He'd call in a few hours, when the store was open. Tony put a pot of coffee on to brew and called home.

Gordon answered the call and told Amelia that it was his Daddy. Daddy and Pam would come home tonight, right? Tony said that they were, but that they wouldn't be home until after dark. Gordy said that that was okay. Amelia took over the phone and told Gordy to brush his teeth before Betty-Ann got there. Tony could hear their footsteps and then the brushing of teeth as Amy watched Gordy and spoke on the phone. Amy was feeling better than ever. Yesterday, Amy wasn't sick for as long as usual. Today, she wasn't hardly sick at all when she woke. It was nice to have an almost normal morning after so many months.

Sookie came up stairs as Tony was about to hang up and asked if she wanted a turn to speak with Amy. Sookie just said "Hi darlin'," and then told Tony that she was going to cook them both breakfast. She'd see Amy tonight so there'd be plenty of time for girl chat, but right now she was starving. Tony was hungry too, but had learned that cooking would wake Sookie up and he wanted to let her sleep until whatever time she wanted.

Tony was about to ask Sookie what he could do to help her when the doorbell rang. Two men from a furniture store were here to deliver a new headboard. Aside from Eric and Pam only the shifter, Shreveport pack and Jasper pack knew where Sookie was staying. He wasn't about to let two humans in until Sookie was hidden. The Were was about to go to the kitchen but Sookie was behind him where the delivery men could see. _So much for her being hidden._ He glared at her, she shrugged. "I wanted to know if there's a griddle. Sue me."

The men came in and took out the damaged headboard. Sookie saw it and turned red. _She must've heard the two of them when she returned. _The two workers gave her knowing looks. She blushed even more; they thought that she and Tony had done that damage. The new headboard was put in and fastened in place in just a couple of minutes. The two men picked up their tool set as Sookie addressed one of them. "You must have a lot of energy." The worker gave her an odd look, "I met you last night… Tracey, right?"

Comprehension dawned on him and he smiled. "No. I'm Bailey. Tracey is my twin." His smile got real wide as he looked back at the damaged headboard set out by the trash and said, "Maybe I oughta take my girlfriend to that steakhouse." Sookie was beat red as the two men left.

As suddenly as her face turned red, it was gone as she faced Tony. "I got it!" She looked at Tony's eyes. "Madden is a twin, had a twin, was a twin... oh you know what I'm saying."

"That would explain how he could be in two places at once yes." Her smile faded as she realized that he was about to put a whole in her theory. "Twins look alike but they don't smell alike. If two people masqueraded as one person, we would know."

"Even if they were both vampires?" She asked hopefully.

Tony thought for a moment. "Pretty sure. Can't say that I've ever heard of twin vampires before. But twins in life have their own unique scent and each vampire has its own scent too. There's no reason to believe that Turned twins would smell alike."

"Darn. I thought I was on to something." Sookie was deflated.

The conversation switched to twins in general as Sookie cooked breakfast. Twins were common on the fae side of her family she was told. She was curious, would only the first born child be a Were even if it were a twin? Or would the twins both become full Weres because it was the first joining of those two parents? Tony had no idea. Twins weren't very common and he'd never heard of a first pregnancy resulting in twins. Werewolves didn't have litters, he quipped.

They day passed by rather quickly as Sookie and Tony talked, read or cleaned the house. Sookie didn't have to clean, of course, but she insisted on doing something to keep herself busy and to not feel like a scrub.

Sookie ate her steakhouse leftovers for lunch and Tony made himself a sandwich. He noticed that her dessert was gone; she turned red when he mentioned it. _They must've gotten a little naughty too._ Tony teased her by giving her a knowing look and she hid her face in embarrassment. He stopped after that.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet. Sookie read a romance novel while Tony poured over the blueprints to the compound.

When the light started to fade, Tony made his way into the kitchen and prepared ratatouille niçoise. Sookie loved it. By the time Eric entered the house, the kitchen had been cleaned up. Eric unsealed the safe room as he listened to Sookie ask Tony for his recipe. The Were explained that he didn't use a recipe, he just threw stuff together. If she wanted, he'd invite her over the next time he was going to fix it and she could watch.

Eric interjected and said that Sookie was a quick learner. Sookie could help him cook or cook under his guidance and the meal would be splendid. _He knew how to raise her spirits._

Tony sensed that his vampire was awake and took out two bloods to heat up. The packages of blood were nice and hot when Pam came up stairs. Tony handed her a blood when she came into the kitchen, then he gave Eric one. _Eric might be a badass sheriff, but Pam was his girl. Pam was first in his eyes._

Eric addressed them. "Now that you are all here... You need to know that Sookie and I have come to an agreement. If the Witch goes into labor at night, Sookie may go and support her friend as she wishes. If the labor comes on during the day, she is to remain inside this house with Alcide or Sam..." He snarled, "as Tony here would be expected at the uh, birthing area." Heads nodded. _We understood your instructions._

Eric carried Sookie to Pam's car. _His 'Vette was nowhere in sight. _He put her in the front passenger seat, held his hand out for Pam to relinquish her keys and then slid into the driver's seat. He was smashed against the wheel until he slid the seat back. Tony and Pam climbed in the back. The group left for the Shreveport medical building in Pam's car.


End file.
